Amino acids are the "building-blocks" of proteins. Proteins, from the Greek word meaning "of prime importance," constitute an array of structures. Examples of these structures include hormones, enzymes, and muscle tissue. The primary function of protein is growth and repair of body tissue (anabolism). Proteins can also be used as energy through catabolic (breakdown of tissues) reactions, such as gluconeogenesis-the process of making glucose from amino acids, lactate, glycerol, or pyruvate in the liver or kidneys. Our bodies require 20 different amino acids. These amino acids can be divided into many groups based on their physical properties, but there are two basic groups: Essential amino acids (EAA): The essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Nonessential amino acids (NEAA): The nonessential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. EAA must be consumed through ones diet or supplementation, because they cannot be synthesized in the body at a sufficient rate to meet demands. NEAA are not nonessential meaning they can be synthesized in the body from other protein and non-protein nutrients, not that they are less important than the EAA.
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