Final answer:
Glutamine is a nonessential amino acid, which means the body can synthesize it, and phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, which must be obtained through diet. Glutamine participates in amino acid synthesis and ammonia transport, while phenylalanine is crucial for producing tyrosine.
Step-by-step explanation:
Glutamine is an amino acid, as is phenylalanine. In the human body, there are different classifications of amino acids: essential, nonessential, and conditionally essential. Glutamine is among the nonessential amino acids, meaning that the body can synthesize it even if it's not obtained from the food we consume. Phenylalanine, on the other hand, is classified as an essential amino acid because it cannot be made by the body and must be obtained through our diet.
Glutamine has several roles in the body, including being the most abundant amino acid found in human muscle. It serves as a nitrogen donor for the synthesis of other amino acids and is involved in various processes such as detoxification and transportation of ammonia. Likewise, phenylalanine is a precursor to the amino acid tyrosine, which is vital for protein synthesis and the production of neurotransmitters.