Here's the breakdown:

* Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They are small molecules that contain an amino group (-NH2), a carboxyl group (-COOH), and a side chain (R group) that is unique to each amino acid.

* Proteins are large, complex molecules made up of long chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.

Think of it like this:

* Amino acids are like bricks.

* Proteins are like a building made of bricks.

You need many bricks to build a building, just like you need many amino acids to make a protein.