Essential and Non-Essential Amino acids

Stephen G. Abelada BS ChE IV Date Submitted: January 4, 2012

ChE 171 Assignment

1. Essential and Non-essential Amino acids

Amino acids are organic compounds which contain both an amino group and a carboxyl group and may be divided into two groups basing on whether they are produced internally by the human body or not: essential and non-essential amino acids (hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu, 2012).

An essential amino acid (indispensable amino acid) is an amino acid which an organism needs to ingest because it is necessary for nutrition and cannot be synthesized in the body. Since the body is incapable of producing them, they should be provided by means of food and amino acid supplements (www.about.com, 2012).

There are eight essential amino acids listed with their corresponding symbols, abbreviation, pathways etc.:

|Essential Amino Acids |(Body cannot make these amino acids, |
| |they must come from food or amino acid supplements.) |
| |

Source: www.vaughns-1-1pagers.com, 2012

Non-essential amino acids are those that can be synthesized by the body and therefore it is not necessary for the body to attain them from an outside source like dietary and amino acid supplements (www.fitday.com, 2012). There are ten non-essential amino acids listed with their corresponding symbols, abbreviation, pathways etc.:

|Non-Essential Amino Acids |(The body can make these amino acids from the above essential amino acids.) |
|