AMMONIA TRANSPORT

AND UREA CYCLE

AMMONIA TRANSPORT
AMMONIA IS A TOXIC COMPOUND THAT IS
PRODUCED AS A BYPRODUCT OF PROTEIN
METABOLISM IN THE BODY. IT IS IMPORTANT
TO ELIMINATE EXCESS AMMONIA FROM THE
BODY TO PREVENT TOXIC LEVELS FROM
ACCUMULATING.
THERE ARE SEVERAL MECHANISMS BY
WHICH THE BODY TRANSPORTS AND
ELIMINATES EXCESS AMMONIA. ONE OF
THE MAIN WAYS THAT THE BODY
ELIMINATES AMMONIA IS THROUGH THE
UREA CYCLE, WHICH IS A METABOLIC
PATHWAY THAT OCCURS IN THE LIVER. THE
UREA CYCLE CONVERTS AMMONIA INTO
UREA, WHICH IS LESS TOXIC AND CAN BE
SAFELY EXCRETED IN THE URINE.
IN ADDITION TO THE UREA CYCLE, THE BODY
ALSO ELIMINATES AMMONIA THROUGH THE
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. AMMONIA CAN BE
EXHALED THROUGH THE LUNGS, WHICH
HELPS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF AMMONIA
IN THE BODY.
ANOTHER WAY THAT THE BODY
TRANSPORTS AND ELIMINATES AMMONIA IS
THROUGH THE KIDNEYS. THE KIDNEYS
FILTER BLOOD AND EXCRETE WASTE
PRODUCTS, INCLUDING AMMONIA, IN THE
URINE.
OVERALL, THE BODY HAS SEVERAL
MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO TRANSPORT AND
ELIMINATE EXCESS AMMONIA TO PREVENT
TOXIC LEVELS FROM ACCUMULATING.
 THE UREA CYCLE IS A METABOLIC
PATHWAY THAT OCCURS IN THE LIVER
AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SYNTHESIS
OF UREA FROM AMMONIA. AMMONIA IS A
TOXIC COMPOUND THAT IS PRODUCED AS
A BYPRODUCT OF PROTEIN METABOLISM
UREA CYCLE AND CAN BUILD UP TO DANGEROUS
LEVELS IN THE BODY IF IT IS NOT
PROPERLY ELIMINATED. THE UREA CYCLE
CONVERTS AMMONIA INTO UREA, WHICH
IS LESS TOXIC AND CAN BE SAFELY
EXCRETED IN THE URINE.
THE UREA CYCLE INVOLVES SEVERAL ENZYMES
AND REACTIONS, AND IT REQUIRES THE INPUT OF
SEVERAL DIFFERENT MOLECULES, INCLUDING
CARBON DIOXIDE, ORNITHINE, AND ASPARTATE.
THE FIRST STEP IN THE UREA CYCLE IS THE
CONVERSION OF AMMONIA TO CARBAMOYL
PHOSPHATE BY THE ENZYME CARBAMOYL
PHOSPHATE SYNTHETASE. THIS REACTION
REQUIRES THE INPUT OF ONE MOLECULE OF
CARBON DIOXIDE AND TWO MOLECULES OF ATP.
THE NEXT STEP IN THE UREA CYCLE IS THE
CONVERSION OF CARBAMOYL PHOSPHATE
TO CITRULLINE BY THE ENZYME ORNITHINE
TRANSCARBAMYLASE. THIS REACTION
REQUIRES THE INPUT OF ONE MOLECULE OF
ORNITHINE AND ONE MOLECULE OF
ASPARTATE.
THE FINAL STEP IN THE UREA CYCLE IS THE
CONVERSION OF CITRULLINE TO UREA BY THE
ENZYME ARGININOSUCCINATE LYASE. THIS
REACTION RELEASES ONE MOLECULE OF UREA
AND ONE MOLECULE OF ARGININE. THE UREA IS
THEN EXCRETED IN THE URINE, WHILE THE
ARGININE IS USED IN OTHER METABOLIC
PATHWAYS.