Julie Erickson, age 13, of Lake Charles, La., for her question:

WHAT IS GLUTEN?

Gluten is a mixture of proteins in wheat and some other cereal grains that helps to make dough rise. Gluten is a tough, sticky, somewhat elastic substance. It is grayish yellow and it has almost no taste.

Gluten in wheat flour is made up chiefly of two proteins: gliadin and gluteninGluten can be separated from the flour if a dough is made from flour and water, and kneaded gently under running, cold water. The starch washes away until only the gluten remains.

In breadmaking, the gluten in the dough traps the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast. As the gas expands, it stretches the gluten, causing the dough to rise.

The amount of gluten in flour depends on the kind of wheat used.

Gluten usually makes up about 88 percent of the protein in bread. Protein is a chemical compound that is an essential part of every cell. Proteins help to repair damaged cells, build new tissues and do many other vital jobs in the body.