U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2008
Abstract
The need for humans to produce and consume food and other agricultural products is increasing. This need is directly related to increasing world populations, demands for goods and services, and expectations. Nitrogen (N) is contained in all of the amino acids and proteins in the foods consumed by humans. The use of N to produce food and other products is generally increasing as human needs increase. Proteins are an essential component of the human diet because, unlike plants, humans are unable to utilize more simple forms of N and rely on food sources for protein which can then be digested to amino acids and used for protein synthesis in the body. Estimation of protein requirements for humans depends both on the content of essential amino acids and digestibility of the protein.
Comments
Published in Nitrogen in the Environment: Sources, Problems, and Management, Second edition, ed. J. L. Hatfield & R. F. Follett (Amsterdam, Boston, et al.: Academic Press/Elsevier, 2008).
“Copyright protection is not available for any work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person's official duties.”
United States Code, Title 17, §105.