The level of drug reaches a peak in the bloodstream after one to two hours, and its felt effects last on average about 5 hours. However, Xanax remains in the bloodstream long after its anti-anxiety effects have worn off. Xanaxâs average half-life is 11 hours. This means that it takes an average of 11 hours for the body to eliminate half the Xanax dose. In older or obese people, or those with liver disease, Xanaxâs half-life is longer, as long as 40 hours. It takes several half-lives to eliminate a drug completely. So for most people, there may still be a small fraction of Xanax in your blood two days or more after taking a single pill.
As a result, a modestly sized protein with only 300 amino acids has a molecular weight of 33,000 g/mol, and very large proteins can have molecular weights as high as 1,000,000 g/mol. Proteins are formed by joining the -CO2H end of one amino acid with the -NH2 end of another to form an amide. The -CONH- bond between amino acids is known as a peptide bond because relatively short polymers of amino acids are known as peptides. The same -CONH- bond forms the backbone of both proteins and synthetic fibers such as Nylon.
What are proteins and what do they do? Proteins are large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body. They do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the bodyâs tissues and organs. Proteins are made up of hundreds or thousands of smaller units called amino acids, which are attached to one another in long chains. There are 20 different types of amino acids that can be combined to make a protein. The sequence of amino acids determines each proteinâs unique 3-dimensional structure and its specific function. Proteins can be described according to their large range of functions in the body, listed in alphabetical order: