Amino Acids

Introduction

Amino acids are the chemicals that make up proteins. The human body needs 20 different amino acids to function properly. Some amino acids are made by the body, while others, called essential amino acids, can be obtained only from foods.

Functionality

Amino acids are very small biomolecules with an average molecular weight of about 135 daltons. They are the principal building blocks of proteins and enzymes. They are incorporated into proteins by transfer RNA according to the genetic code while messenger RNA is being decoded by ribosomes. During and after the final assembly of a protein, the amino acid content dictates the spatial and biochemical properties of the protein or enzyme. The amino acid backbone determines the primary sequence of a protein, but the nature of the side chains determines the protein's properties.

Alpha Amino Acids

Alpha-amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins form via the condensation of amino acids to form a chain of amino acid "residues" linked by peptide bonds. Each different protein has a unique sequence of amino acid residues; this sequence is the primary structure of the protein. Just as the letters of the alphabet can be combined to form an almost endless variety of words, amino acids can be linked in varying sequences to form a huge variety of proteins.

Recent Researches

The researchers also checked two U.S. studies on blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid. Elevated blood concentrations of homocysteine appear to be a stroke risk factor, the researchers note. They found that after folic acid fortification, people in the U.S. had more folic acid and less homocysteine in their blood. "The increase in folate concentration in the population is inversely associated with homocysteine level, so if you have high folic acid concentration, you have lower homocysteine concentration," Yang says in a news release. Stroke is still a "major health burden" in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries, Yang's team writes. "Many factors" have probably helped cut down on stroke deaths, the researchers add. Additional studies are urgently needed to either prove or disprove what we observed," Yang says in the news release. His study only tracked stroke deaths, not stroke-related disability.

Abstract

Amino acids are known as the building blocks of protein in our body. They are the principal building blocks of proteins and enzymes. They are incorporated into proteins by transfer RNA according to the genetic code while messenger RNA is being decoded by ribosomes. Each different protein has a unique sequence of amino acid residues; this sequence is the primary structure of the protein. Elevated blood concentrations of homocysteine (An Amino Acid) appear to be a stroke risk factor, the researchers note.