Essay On Amino Acids

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Amino acids are the building blocks of the body that make up proteins. Proteins substances are built of twenty amino acids that form the muscle, organs, glands, tendons, nails and hair. On the other hand, amino acids are classified into two groups; these groups are essential and non-essential amino acids. Amino acids that are obtained from food are called essential amino acids, and amino acids that our bodies produce from other sources are called non-essential amino acids. Also the key elements of an amino acid are oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen. The growth and repair of all cells depend on them. An amino acid is an organic molecule with a basic amino group and a carboxyl group. Proteins are polymers of amino acids. As lipids and polysaccharides, proteins are formed as a result of dehydration synthesis. The nitrogen of the amino group of an amino acid is bound to the carbon group of another amino acid with a single covalent bond, and water is liberated. Through dehydration synthesis, amino acids are able to link together to form polypeptides. For dehydration synthesis to occur, the carboxyl group of an amino acid needs to be adjacent to another amino acid group. So when they are adjacent, an enzyme can cause them to join by catalyzing dehydration synthesis. ("Amino Acid") Moreover, essential amino acids are those that cannot be synthesized in the body and must be taken to obtain protein from rich foods that contain them. Our body breaks down protein to get the essential amino acids and form new proteins. Essential amino acid can be found in eggs, dairy, seafood, and beans. Out of the twenty amino acids in our body, nine are essential in our diet. The nine essential amino acids that we can produce are, lysine (one of th... ... middle of paper ... ... many body tissues), glutamine (nourishing brain and is involved specially in the utilization of glucose by the brain) and glutamate (our bodies used it for the synthesis of proteins, such as when transporting energy). ("Amino Acids.") In conclusion, amino acids are organic compounds that are combining to form proteins. Amino acid and proteins are the building blocks of life. Amino acids fit into two categories: essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids cannot be produce in the body. Consequently, they must come from food. Non-essential means that our bodies produce amino acid, even though we don’t get them from the food we eat. In believe that we need amino acid in order to survive because they make up around 75 percent of the human body, and are also vital to every part of human function. Lastly, amino acids can be used as a source of energy by the body.

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