Amino Acids Flashcards
1
Q
Which amino acids are glucogenic? Which are ketogenic? Which are both?
A
Amino acids, such as alanine and glycine, can be converted into glucose through gluconeogenesis and are called glucogenic amino acids. Two amino acids – leucine and lysine – are exclusively ketogenic amino acids (i.e. they can give rise to ketone bodies or fatty acids). Five more are both ketogenic and glucogenic: phenylalanine, isoleucine, threonine, tryptophan, and tyrosine.
Amino acids, such as valine and aspartate, can feed directly into the citric acid cycle and lead to the formation of energy as ATP.
