Humans can synthesize 11 of the 20 standard amino acids.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are essential for life. While 20 standard amino acids are commonly used in protein synthesis within the human body, the body can synthesize some, but not all, of them.
Here's a breakdown:
- Non-Essential Amino Acids (Synthesized by Humans): Humans can synthesize 11 of the 20 standard amino acids. These are often referred to as "non-essential" because they don't necessarily need to be obtained directly from the diet.
- Essential Amino Acids (Not Synthesized by Humans): The remaining amino acids, called "essential amino acids," cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be obtained through dietary sources.
Therefore, the number of amino acids that the human body can synthesize is 11. The other essential amino acids must come from the foods we eat.
