Moodle Book 9: Important Terms

Alt milk

Alternative sources of mammalian milk. Normally plant derived (soy, coconut, etc.). This is a controversial term as some countries legally regulate the term milk (saving it for mammal lactation secretions only).

Amino Acid

Building blocks of proteins. Some are considered essential to animals in general, and some are essential for specific animals.

EAA

Essential amino acids: an amino acid that cannot be synthesized de novo by the animal and therefore must be supplied in the diet. Nutritional essentiality is characteristic of the species, not the nutrient. There are 10 essential amino acids for all mammals. Remember the acronym, Pvt. Tim Hall, to remember the names: phenylalanine, valine, trytophan, threonine, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, arginine, leucine, and lysine. As will be discussed later, some species require EAA that others do not.

NPN

Non-protein nitrogen. Sources of nitrogen for the synthesis of protein if amino acids are not available, or not available in sufficient amounts. e.g. ammonia and urea.

Proteases

Enzymes that break the peptide bonds of amino acids at specific places depending on the protease. e.g. pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase

Protein

Complex molecules of amino acids bound together by peptide bonds. Different arrangement of amino acids, makes different proteins.