What is an essential amino acid?

Answer 1

An essential amino acid is a building block of protein molecules that our bodies cannot produce and need to get from a food source. They are essential because we can not synthesize them from other amino acids or smaller building blocks. Ultimately they are needed to make proteins which build tissues in our bodies.

Answer

Protein molecules are long chains of amino acids. There are 20 naturally occurring amino acids used in protein synthesis alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, tyrosine, arginine and histidine are non essential in that they can be synthesized from precursors in the diet. The amino acids isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine can not be synthesised by the body and therefore must be essential components of the diet. However some of the nonessential amino acids listed above are essential for normal growth in children since they do not have full biosynthetic capability as they develop.

Answer

Amino acids which can't be synthesized by the body and must be taken in diet are known as essential amino acids.
Essential amino acids are required by animals yet they cannot be synthesized, they are usually supplied in the diet.

Answer 2

Essential amino acids

An amino acid that must be obtained from the diet so that the body can synthesize vital proteins. The nine essential amino acids are:

• isoleucine
• leucine
• lysine
• methionine
• phenylalanine
• threonine
• tryptophan
• valine
• histidine

Five others, arginine, cysteine, glycine, glutamine and tyrosine, are considered conditionally essential - meaning that they are produced by most people, but must be supplied to those who are incapable of producing them.

The essential amino acids must be available in the body simultaneously and in the correct proportions for protein synthesis to occur. One of the problems with some crash diets is that they do not provide enough essential amino acids and, in some extreme cases, have resulted in death.

Answer 3

An amino acid that cannot be synthesised by an organism and therefore must be supplied by the diet is called an essential amino acid. Humans can produce 12 of the 20 amino acids. The others must be supplied in the food. These are called essential amino acids. The body also doesn't store the excess amino acids so they must be eaten in food every day. There are 8 essential amino acids in adults and 9 in children. Examples of these are tryptophan, lysine and valine. Some amino acids can be changed into others as required but some cannot be made this way and therefore must be taken through food. Most foods of the animal origin (meat, eggs, and milk) contain all the different amino acids that we need.When we eat proteins, the molecules are broken down into their constituent amino acids in the digestive system. The amino acids are absorbed into the blood and then taken via the liver and other parts of the body to individual cells. Here they are used to synthesise whichever particular proteins are required. An amino acid that cannot be synthesised by an organism and therefore must be supplied by the diet is called an essential amino acid. Humans can produce 12 of the 20 amino acids. The others must be supplied in the food. These are called essential amino acids. The body also doesn't store the excess amino acids so they must be eaten in food every day. There are 8 essential amino acids in adults and 9 in children. Examples of these are tryptophan, lysine and valine. Some amino acids can be changed into others as required but some cannot be made this way and therefore must be taken through food. Most foods of the animal origin (meat, eggs, and milk) contain all the different amino acids that we need.When we eat proteins, the molecules are broken down into their constituent amino acids in the digestive system. The amino acids are absorbed into the blood and then taken via the liver and other parts of the body to individual cells. Here they are used to synthesise whichever particular proteins are required.

Answer 4

These Ten Valuable Amino Acids Have Long Preserved Life In Man. (A way to remember these)

These ....... Tryptophan

Ten ......... Threonine

Valuable .... Valine

Amino Acids . Arginine

Have ........ Histidine

Long ........ Lysine

Preserved ... Phenylalanine

Life ........ Leucine

In .......... Isoleucine

Man ......... Methionine

Essential amino acids are those that are "essential" in the diet. In other words, we cannot create them

through our own metabolism.

Non-essential amino acids are those which can be produced from other amino acids and substances in the diet and metabolism.

Answer 5

essential amino acids are those amino acids that must be attained (eaten) from your diet, since the body is not capable of producing these amino acids in quantities necessary for normal cellular functions.

Answer 6

an amino acid that the body can produce without supplementation and includes glycine, alanine, and serine

Answer 7

Essential amino acids are amino acids that your body cannot produce and must be gotten through food.