25: Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism
- Page ID
- 86383
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- 25.3: Amino Acid Catabolism - The Amino Group
- The liver is the principal site of amino acid metabolism, but other tissues, such as the kidney, the small intestine, muscles, and adipose tissue, take part. Generally, the first step in the breakdown of amino acids is the separation of the amino group from the carbon skeleton, usually by a transamination reaction. The carbon skeletons resulting from the deaminated amino acids are used to form either glucose or fats, or they are converted to a metabolic intermediate by the citric acid cycle.
Thumbnail: Tryptophan is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. It is an essential amino acid, which means that the human body cannot synthesize it for itself, and need to be provided by the diet.