Nitrogen Balance in the Body Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

PERSONALISED 1-TO-1 TUTORING

Get support with clear explanations, practice and feedback (Ages 5 to 16).

Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe to remove ads

What is nitrogen balance in the body?

It is the match between nitrogen you eat in protein and nitrogen you lose, mainly as urea in urine.

Protein, which is made of amino acids.

You take in more nitrogen than you lose, so you build new body tissue.

During growth in children or teens, and during pregnancy.

You lose more nitrogen than you take in, so the body breaks down its own tissue.

Starvation and severe illness or injury.

The body cannot store protein. Extra amino acids are broken down in the liver and the nitrogen part is turned into urea.

The liver makes urea from excess amino acids. The kidneys filter the blood and excrete urea in urine.

In urine as urea. A small amount also leaves in sweat and faeces.

By comparing nitrogen eaten (from protein) with nitrogen lost, mainly as urea in urine.