Metabolism and Elimination of Proteins

METABOLISM AND ELIMINATION

All essential amino acids must be present to build and repair the cells as needed. When amino acids are broken down, the nitrogen-containing amine group is stripped off. This process is called deamination. Deamination pro-duces ammonia, which is released into the bloodstream by the cells. The liver picks up the ammonia, converts it to urea, and returns it to the bloodstream for the kidneys to filter out and excrete. The remaining parts are used for energy or are converted to carbohydrate or fat and stored as glycogen or adipose tissue.