Translation elongation factor that catalyzes the GTP- dependent binding of aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) to the A-site of ribosomes during the elongation phase of protein synthesis (PubMed:26593721, PubMed:26651998, PubMed:36123449, PubMed:36264623, PubMed:36638793). Base pairing between the mRNA codon and the aa-tRNA anticodon promotes GTP hydrolysis, releasing the aa-tRNA from EEF1A1 and allowing its accommodation into the ribosome (PubMed:26593721, PubMed:26651998, PubMed:36123449, PubMed:36264623, PubMed:36638793). The growing protein chain is subsequently transferred from the P-site peptidyl tRNA to the A-site aa-tRNA, extending it by one amino acid through ribosome-catalyzed peptide bond formation (PubMed:26593721, PubMed:26651998, PubMed:36123449, PubMed:36264623). Also plays a role in the positive regulation of IFNG transcription in T-helper 1 cells as part of an IFNG promoter-binding complex with TXK and PARP1 (PubMed:17177976). Also plays a role in cytoskeleton organization by promoting actin bundling (By similarity). {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:P68105, ECO:0000269|PubMed:17177976, ECO:0000269|PubMed:26593721, ECO:0000269|PubMed:26651998, ECO:0000269|PubMed:36123449, ECO:0000269|PubMed:36264623, ECO:0000269|PubMed:36638793}. (Microbial infection) Required for the translation of viral proteins and viral replication during human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection. . This is the function of ENSG00000156508 (EEF1A1, eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1).