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Multiple Choice
How many amino acids are considered essential because they must be obtained from the diet and cannot be synthesized by the human body?
A
20
B
11
C
8
D
9
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of essential amino acids: Essential amino acids are those that the human body cannot synthesize and must be obtained through dietary sources.
Recall the total number of amino acids used in protein synthesis: There are 20 standard amino acids that are incorporated into proteins.
Differentiate between essential and non-essential amino acids: Out of the 20 amino acids, some can be synthesized by the human body (non-essential), while others cannot (essential).
Memorize the list of essential amino acids: The nine essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Verify the correct answer: Based on the definition and the list of essential amino acids, the correct number of essential amino acids is 9.