Proteins are made up of amino acids linked together through peptide bonds. There are four levels of protein structure: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. The primary structure is the linear sequence of amino acids. Secondary structure involves local folding into structures like alpha helices and beta sheets. Tertiary structure describes the overall 3D shape formed by interactions between amino acid side chains. Quaternary structure occurs when multiple protein subunits assemble to form an oligomeric complex.