Amino Acid Catabolism

Question 1

Amino acids in excess of immediate body requirements can or cannot be stored for later use?

Answer 1

Cannot

Question 2

Two ways in which amino acids can be converted to other molecules for use in energy production?

Answer 2

If the body has excess AA, it cannot store them for later. Instead, the body can:

1. Cleave the amino group and convert it to urea. Urea is excreted or used to synthesize amino acids, nucleotides, and biogenic amines.
2. The remaining carbon skeleton is classified as either glucogenic or ketogenic.
   -Glycogenic amino acids are converted to glucose, pyruvate, oxaloacetate or an intermediary of krebs cycle.
   -Ketogenic amino acids are converted to acetyl coA and ketone bodies if excess.
   ^^both end results can be used to produce energy.

Question 3

Glucogenic amino acids are converted to

Answer 3

glucose, pyruvate, oxaloacetate, or an intermediary of krebs cycle.

Question 4

Ketogenic amino acids are converted to

Answer 4

Acetyl CoA and if excess, into ketone bodies.