Plural of actin; a type of protein found in all living cells that interacts with myosin to enable muscle contraction and cell movement.
From 'actin,' derived from Latin 'actus' (motion, action) because these proteins are responsible for movement. First identified in muscle tissue in the early 1900s.
Actins are basically tiny molecular motors in your cells—they're why your muscles can contract, why cells can move around, and why some bacteria can slide across surfaces—and they're found in virtually every living cell on Earth, making them one of the most important proteins you've never heard of!
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