Question

16. List five (5) essential amino acids in children and include how it differs from that of an adult.

Answer 1

Amino acids are classified in to 2 types.

1. Essential or Indispensable amino acids

2. Non-essential or Dispensable amino acids

The aminos acids which cannot be synthesized in the body and should provide with diet are called Essential amino acids.

Ex: Lysine, Isoleucine, Threonine, Methionine,
Tryptophan, Leucine, Valine, Phenylalanine.

These amino acids cannot be synthesized in the body. Hence they should be provided with diet.

For adults, these are the essential amino acids.

For children along these amino acids, some other amino acids are needed to be provided in the diet.

Those are arginine, histidine, cysteine, glycine, tyrosine, glutamine and proline.

In adults these amino acids can be synthesized by process of transmination ie conversion of one amino acid to other. It is not possible in case of children. Hence they should provide with diet.