What is an amino acid?

“Amino Acids are the organic compounds that

combine to form proteins; hence they are
referred to as the building components of
proteins. These biomolecules are involved in
several biological and chemical functions in the
human body and are the necessary ingredients
for the growth and development of human
beings. There are about 300 amino acids that
occur in nature.”
General functions of amino acids
By the condition of being the main protein
producer, amino acids are responsible for a
large number of functions of remarkable
importance for humans.
They provide the body with structure and help
in the tissue repair worn and in wound healing.
They are responsible for the synthesis of
neurotransmitters, the essential elements for
transmitting information within the human
body.
In simpler terms, Amino acids are organic
compounds containing the basic amino groups
(-NH2) and carbox groups
What are the types of amino acids?
There are two types of amino acid;
Essential and Non-Essential amino acid
Essential amino acids cannot be made by the
body. As a result, they must come from food.
Foods that contain all nine essential amino
acids are called complete proteins. These foods
include beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, soy and
buckwheat. Foods that contain some but not
all the essential amino acids are called
incomplete proteins. These foods include nuts,
seeds, beans and some grains.
Non-Essential means that our bodies can
produce the amino acid, even if we do not get it
from the food we eat. Nonessential amino acids
include: alanine, arginine, aspartic acid,
cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine,
proline, serine, and tyrosine.
Structure of Amino Acid
From the illustration, it can be noted that the
key elements that make up amino acids are
hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
However, it is not uncommon for other
elements to be found in the side chain of an
amino acid. It can also be noted that there are
over 500 naturally occurring amino acids known
to us. Of these, only 20 amino acids are known
to appear in genetic code.