Amino acids are essential organic molecules for the manufacture of protein chains in a living organism.
The molecular structure of amino acids is made up of atoms of carbon (Ç), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N).
Amino acids are fundamental molecules for the proper functioning of the body, as they are responsible for help in the formation of body tissues (muscles, for example), enzymes, immune cells and etc.
Types of amino acids
Among the 20 types of amino acids that exist in nature, the organisms of animals (including beings humans) can produce 12, the rest of which must be acquired through the ingestion of certain foods.
Plants, in turn, manage to produce all 20 amino acids.
The amino acids that organisms can synthesize are called non-essentials or expendable. Amino acids that are only acquired from eating certain foods are known to essential.
essential amino acids
These amino acids are not produced by organisms animals, but must be consumed from the ingestion of certain foods. Even though they are not natural to the body, they are essential for the body to produce proteins.
The essential amino acids are:
- Phenylalanine
- Valine
- tryptophan
- threonine
- Lysine
- leucine
- isoleucine
- Methionine
Most essential amino acids are present in foods of animal origin, such as meat, eggs, milk and so on.
know more about proteins.
Non-essential Amino Acids
Also known as natural amino acids, these molecules are produced by the individual's own body.
Non-essential amino acids are:
- Glycine
- Alanine
- Serine
- Cysteine
- Tyrosine
- aspartic acid
- glutamic acid
- arginine
- Histidine
- asparagine
- glutamine
- proline
Arginine and histidine are considered semi-essential amino acids, because during childhood they are not synthesized by the organism. During this phase, however, these amino acids must be consumed from the intake of specific foods.
Also learn more about the meaning of Metabolism and of the Creatine.
