Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!paul.rutgers.edu!dcohen From: dcohen@paul.rutgers.edu (Dawn Myfanwy Cohen) Newsgroups: sci.bio Subject: Where do herbivores get their amino acids? Message-ID: Date: 11 May 91 20:42:41 GMT Distribution: usa Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 17 Where do herbivores (especially those like cows that only eat grass) get amino acids from? Carnivores can obviously get them from meat. Is it the case that leaves have enough protein for the herbivores, if eaten in large enough quantities? If so, why couldn't humans use them as a (possibly incomplete) source of protein, too? Is it that the herbivores are capable of forming their own amino acids from products of carbohydrate metabolism? (If so, what is the source of nitrogen?) -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Good Morning! --Dawn Send fan mail to: uucp: {ames,bosgd,harvard,moss}!rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!dcohen arpa: dcohen@paul.rutgers.edu