Table of Contents

What are Proteins?

Proteins are complex nitrogenous compounds that are composed of Carbon, Nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, they have high molecular weight. They are also part of our daily diet. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.

What are Amino acids?

They are the building blocks of proteins. There are some types of proteins that are determined by the sequence of the amino acids. Amino acids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Bonds between the amino acids are called peptide bonds.

What is the structure of amino acids?

Proteins are composed of the three main groups that are given below.

Amine group (-NH2)
Carboxylic group (-COOH)
Basic R group (-R)

What are the types of amino acids?

There are two types of amino acids that are given below.

Essential amino acids
Non Essential amino acids

Essential Amino acids:

Those amino acids that the body can not produce and must be taken from the daily diet are called essential amino acids. They are required for proper growth and development. There are 10 essential amino acids that are given below.

Arginine
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Tryptophan
Threonine
Valine

Sr. No	Essential Amino acid	Functions	Sources
1	Arginine	Essential in early life but later can be produced Role in cell division Healing of wounds Required for formation of collagen, Insulin, hemoglobin, elastin, and glucagon	Whole wheat flour Groundnuts Chickpeas Green Root vegetables walnuts Garlic Ginseng
2	Histidine	Required during the period of growth Adults can synthesize it. Required for growth Conversion of glucose into glycogen. Repair of tissues.	Banana Grapes Meat Poultry Milk Green Vegetables
3	Isoleucine	Release of energy, production, and maintenance of body proteins. Regulate functioning of the thymus gland, pituitary glands, and spleen. Used for the formation of hemoglobin.	Eggs Chicken Milk Cereal grains
4	Leucine	Help in the release of energy Regulation of proteins metabolism	Whole grains Milk Eggs Beef Chicken Pulses Leafy vegetables
5	Lysine	The building block of proteins Role in the building of Muscles proteins Calcium absorption Help in the elimination of virus infections Inhibit virus proliferation	Leafy vegetables Pulses Legumes Meat Poultry Fish Milk Fruits Cereals
6	Methionine	Involved in the synthesis of nucleic acid, collagen, and proteins Antioxidant Protect the liver from fatty degeneration Dissolves cholesterol and hemoglobin	Whole grains Sesame seeds Meat Milk Leafy vegetables Grapes
7	Phenylalanine	Effect on the thyroid secretion Control appetite Responsible for kidney and bladder functioning	Milk Curd Cheese Pulses Legumes Poultry Groundnuts Almonds Pistachio Nuts Leafy vegetables Whole grains
8	Threonine	Responsible for brain development and functioning Powerful anti-convulsive effect	Poultry Groundnuts Leafy vegetables Whole grains Pulses Legumes Nuts Apples Peaches Figs
9	Tryptophan	Useful in the synthesis of niacin Blood clotting Formation of digestive juice Induce sleep relaxes the nervous system	Milk Bajra Barley Sweet Potatoes Vegetables Mangoes Papaya Seeds Nuts
10	Valine	Help in body growth Proper performance of Nervous system	Leafy vegetables Cereals Pulses Legumes Nuts Poultry Milk

Non-Essential Amino acids:

Those amino acids that are produced by the body within the body and that may not cause diseases if they are not taken for a short time are called non-essential amino acids.
A list of non-essential amino acids is given below.

Alanine
Arginine
Asparagine
Aspartic acid
Cystine
Cysteine
Glutamic acid
Glycine
Proline
Serine
Tyrosine

References:

https://www.britannica.com/science/amino-acid

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/macromolecules/proteins-and-amino-acids/a/introduction-to-proteins-and-amino-acids

https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/articles/essential-amino-acids-chart-abbreviations-and-structure-324357

https://www.fao.org/3/x5738e/x5738e04.htm

https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/protein/

Note:
MedPGR.com does not provide any medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content on our website is just for information purposes only. All content on our website is just for information purposes only.

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What are proteins, amino acids, types, structures, functions and sources