How are proteins important to the complement system's structure?

The complement system consists of numerous unique plasma proteins which interact with each other to tag pathogens for destruction and initiate a sequence of inflammatory reactions aiding in the body's defense against infections. Some of these complement proteins are proteases, and they become active through cleavage by proteolytic processes. The complement system involves numerous proteins in an inactive state, known as precursors, which become activated at sites of inflammation. These activated fragments subsequently create convertases, which cleave components for the next phase of the cascade. The rapid degradation of these complexes, resulting in the loss of enzymatic activity, is a crucial aspect of the complement system's regulation.