Liver

• liver: converts excess amino acids into urea
• liver:

  • assisting the body in take up amino acids for cellular respiration
  • breaking down excess amino acids
• assimilation is the movement of digested food molecules into the cells of the body where they are used, becoming a part of the cell
• liver has a role in the assimilation of amino acids
• liver converts amino acids into proteins; fibrinogen and other plasma proteins
• substances are absorbed through the wall of the small intestine into the bloodstream
• amino acids can be used to create new proteins that the cells require
• excess amino acids are converted into urea in the liver
• the process of converting amino acids into urea is called deamination
• deamination involves removal nitrogen containing (-NH2) part of the amino acids molecule; produces ammonia
• the -NH2 is converted to ammonia (NH3) after it is removed through deamination
• high levels of ammonia in the bloodstream can have serious health problems (brain damage)
• it is important for the body to keep ammonia level low by converting it to urea as it is less toxic for the body compared to ammonia