Nitrogen Flashcards
Where does the majority of our nitrogen come from?
Our diet - proteins, nuclei acids and nucleotides
What is the fate of dietary proteins?
Pepsin breaks it down to small peptides in stomach.
Trypsin breaks it down to large and small peptides in small intestine.
Aminopeptidase and Carboxypeptidases A and B break peptides down into Amino acids in small intestine
How many of our naturally occurring amino acids are needed from our diets?
9 out of 20
Difference between glucogenic and ketogenic amino acids?
Glucogenic form pyruvate and oxaloacetate when digested in excess, Ketogenic form acetyl CoA and acetoacetyl CoA when digested in excess
What happens when we ingest protein in excess?
The excess amino acids go on to form Glucose as glycogen, or fatty acids as triglycerides
Where does amino acid metabolism occur?
In the liver
What occurs when the body is in the ‘fasted’ state?
Fatty acids are released from adipose tissue to the liver to be converted into glucose
Do we digest the whole amino acid?
No - amine group isn’t digested into body protein
How is the amine group separated from amino acids?
Transamination occurs, leaving just the backbone.
What is the name of the amino acid backbone without the amine group?
a-keto acid
