When
we ingest protein in our diet it will get broken down into various types of
amino acids. This then means that it can easily be absorbed into the intestine and
then into the bloodstream and transported to the liver. This will then allow
them to be used by the body whenever they are required to build proteins
throughout the body. They can also be stored as glycogen or fat for energy.
Here are a few examples of the functions amino acids have in the body.
·
They
serve as antibodies
·
Crucial
in the framework of building cells such as muscle, bone, and organs· They function as hormones
· Help to transport substances throughout the body such as blood
· They also serve as contractile proteins in muscle tissue (actin and myosin)
All
protein that is consumed will get broken into individual amino acids, and this
will happen either in the stomach or small intestine. This will be done by
various digestive enzymes in the body, which will mean they can then reform
back into new proteins within the body. The digestive system is only capable of
absorbing single amino acids, or small chains of two or three amino acids which
are called peptides. Just like glycogen in the body which is made up of
molecules of glucose, protein is made up of many amino acids. Amino acids can
come in a few various forms relating to how many peptide bonds they have. Here
are the main examples.
·
Dipeptide
– two amino acids joined with a single peptide bond
·
Tripeptide
– three amino acids joined with a few peptide bonds · Oligopeptide – Four to 10 amino acids joined with many peptide bonds
· Polypeptide – More than 10 and up to 100 amino acids joined by many peptide bonds
· When you get more than 100 amino acids you will get a protein
When
amino acids are being converted into proteins it can result in dehydration
because water molecules are used in the formation of protein. The human body
needs a total of 22 amino acids, and out of this 22, 8 are referred to as
essential meaning that the body cannot manufacture them, they must be ingested
in food. However, non-essential amino acids can be manufactured by the body to
be used as building blocks for many essential functions.
Essential and
Non-essential amino acids:
There
are a total of 8 essential amino acids. These can only be acquired through
ingesting foods that contain them. Here’s a quick run through.
·
Isoleucine,
Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine
There
are a total of 14 non-essential amino acids. The body can make these in the liver
through a process called transamination. Here is a run through of the
non-essential amino acids.
·
Alanine,
Arginine, Asparagine, Aspartic acid, Cysteine, Glutamic acid, Glycine,
Glutamine, Glutathione, Histamine, Proline, Serine, and Tyrosine
Complete and
Incomplete proteins:
We
get all are amino acid requirement from animal and plant sources. There is no
real difference between the amino acids found in animals when compared to
plants. However, because animals have a similar body structure to humans it
means that it can be absorbed more efficiently than plant sources. Here are a
few examples of high quality or complete proteins. These contain large amounts
of essential amino acids.
·
Fish
·
Eggs· Meat
· Poultry
· Dairy products
The
only sources of complete proteins are found in plants hemp and soybeans. Here
are examples of incomplete proteins from plant sources. These contain less
amino acids and are not absorbed as efficiently by the body.
·
Nuts
·
Seeds· Fruit
· Plants
· Grains
· Vegetables
Conclusion:
At some point I will get round to explaining every single amino acid and how it functions within the human body. This builds well with my post of protein. I will also need to explain transamination Thanks for reading!!
