Simple Pharmanotes: General reactions of Amino Acid Metabolism.

Introduction:

Nitrogen metabolism is one of the most important processes in amino acid synthesis.
Remember an Amino acid is an organic molecule containing both acidic and a basic group.
The general reactions of Amino Acid Metabolism include,

When an amine group is attached to an amino acid, the amino acid is transformed into a keto acid (an amino acid without an amine group), resulting in the formation of two new amino acids.The reaction is called transamination.
When amino acids are reversibly aminated and deaminated, the amino group is redistributed among the amino acids, which is known as transamination.
Transaminases (aminotransferases) are a type of enzyme found throughout the body, particularly in the heart, liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle.
The reaction generally occurs as follows,

Transaminase or an Aminotransferase.
L-amino acids are hydrolyzed by enzymes, but D-isomers are not, they are specific to certain prokaryotes.
The mitochondrial and cytosolic enzymes are separate.

Removal of amino group.
Carried out by the liver.
Breaks down the amino acids.
Ammonia is produced by eliminating the amino group from amino acids.
Carbon and hydrogen form the rest of amino acids, which are recycled or oxidized for energy.
In the urea cycle, enzymes convert ammonia to urea and uric acid by combining that ammonia with carbon dioxide molecules.
Uric acid and urea are excreted through the urine.

Removal of carboxyl group from amino acid, carbon dioxide gets liberated.
Removal of a carbon atom from a chain of carbons by a reaction of carboxylic acids.
Enzyme: Decarboxylase