Deamination
Deamination
Deamination (pronunciation: dee-am-uh-nay-shun) is a process in biochemistry where an amino acid loses an amino group to form an ammonia molecule and a keto acid. This process is primarily carried out in the liver and is a crucial part of nitrogen metabolism.
Etymology
The term 'deamination' is derived from the prefix 'de-', meaning removal of, and 'amination', which refers to the process of adding an amino group. Thus, 'deamination' essentially means the removal of an amino group.
Process
Deamination begins when an amino acid is broken down by an enzyme known as deaminase. The deaminase removes the amino group from the amino acid, converting it into a keto acid. The removed amino group is then converted into ammonia. This ammonia is toxic and is converted into urea through the urea cycle, which is then excreted from the body through urine.
Related Terms
- Amino Acid: Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins. They are essential to life and are the building blocks of proteins.
- Enzyme: Enzymes are biological molecules that significantly speed up the rate of virtually all of the chemical reactions that take place within cells.
- Urea Cycle: The urea cycle is a cycle of biochemical reactions that produces urea from ammonia. This occurs in all mammals, including humans.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Deamination
- Wikipedia's article - Deamination
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