Protein quality control

Protein quality control is the cell's system for ensuring proteins are correctly made and functioning properly. When proteins are produced, they are folded into specific shapes essential for their activity. If a protein is misfolded or damaged, quality control mechanisms identify and remove these faulty proteins to prevent harm. This process involves molecular chaperones that assist in proper folding and other systems that degrade defective proteins. Overall, protein quality control maintains cellular health by ensuring only functional proteins persist and malfunctioning ones are efficiently eliminated.