Amino Acid and Protein Metabolism Crossword Puzzle

QUESTIONS LIST:

• pepsin: an enzyme secreted by gastric mucosal cells that initiates protein digestion by hydrolyzing n-terminus peptide bonds at aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan.
• trypsin: a pancreatic enzyme that specifically cleaves c-terminus peptide bonds of positively charged amino acids like lysine and arginine.
• urea: a nitrogenous waste product with lower toxicity that higher organisms convert ammonium ions into before excretion.
• pyruvate: the carbon skeleton remaining after the degradation of the amino acid alanine, which is an intermediate in the glycolysis pathway.
• histamine: an allergen synthesized from the amino acid histidine, causing allergic symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and itching.
• aminopeptidase: an enzyme from the small intestine that accelerates the hydrolysis of n-terminus peptide bonds in short peptides.
• ureacycle: the process occurring in the liver, involving both mitochondria and cytoplasm, that converts ammonium ions into urea.
• plp: a coenzyme derived from pyridoxin (vitamin b6) that functions as an amino group carrier in transamination reactions.
• melatonin: a hormone whose production decreases with age, which is believed to contribute to sleep problems in older adults.
• melanin: a pigment produced by melanocytes in the skin, synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine, which helps protect against sunlight.