Week 10

Question 1

How is nitrogen broken down in plants?

Answer 1

Via nitrogen fixation and nitrogen assimilation
- Take in Amino Acids and incorporate them with other Amino Acids (take in Ammonia from atmosphere and incorporate it with glutamate and glutamine)
Requires high amounts of energy

Question 2

How many Amino Acids are synthesised in the body?

Answer 2

11 out of 20

Question 3

How many Amino Acids do plants and microbes make?

Answer 3

20

Question 4

Define Essential Amino Acids:

Answer 4

• Not synthesised in the body
• Rings structures (more energy expensive to synthesise in the body)
• Must be consumed
• 9 essential amino acids

Question 5

Define Non- Essential Amino Acids

Answer 5

• 11 non-essential amino acids
• Synthesised in our body
• Simple structure (some simple aromatic/ rings)
• Either Glucogenic or Ketogenic

Question 6

Discuss Glucogenic Amino Acids:

Answer 6

Non Essential
Produce: Glucose= from Pyruvate) and TCA cycle intermediates (e.g. alpha-ketogluterate)
- increase with Insulin

Question 7

Discuss Ketogenic Amino Acids:

Answer 7

Non- Essential
Produce (during fasting): Acetyl CoA and Ketone bodies + fatty acids
- increase with Glucagon

Question 8

Can an amino acid be both ketogenic and glycogenic?

Answer 8

Yes

• Amino Acids can produce both: ketone substrates and glucose substrates
  e. g. Phenylalanine