Final answer:
Non-essential amino acids can be made by the body from other amino acids, whereas essential amino acids cannot and must be consumed through the diet. The human body synthesizes non-essential amino acids but requires dietary intake for the nine essential amino acids.
Step-by-step explanation:
Non-essential amino acids are amino acids needed by the body but can be synthesized from other amino acids if they are not supplied in the diet. In contrast, essential amino acids must be acquired through food as the body cannot manufacture them.The human body requires twenty amino acids to construct proteins. While it can produce most of these through cellular processes, there are nine that it cannot synthesize. The nine essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. These must be supplied by our diet since our cells lack the biochemical pathways to create them.
On the other hand, non-essential amino acids such as alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine, can be produced internally and are not required to be consistently present in our food intake.Understanding the difference between essential and non-essential amino acids is crucial for maintaining a balanced diet that supports body functions such as protein synthesis, repair, and overall metabolism.