Question

Ammonia produced during protein catabolism is converted to uric acid in the liver of
A. Orthinotelic animals
B. Uricotelic animals
C. Ammonotelic animals
D. Ureotelic animals

Answer 1

The ammonia produced during protein catabolism is converted to uric acid in the liver by the urea cycle. As it involves the cycle of biochemical reactions that help in the production of urea from ammonia. The urea cycle helps in the conversion of highly toxic ammonia into urea for excretion.

Step by step answer: All organisms need to excrete their waste out of the body like amino acid catabolism results in waste ammonia. Aquatic animals excrete ammonia from their body without converting it. But there are other organisms which safely and easily remove nitrogen from their body as ammonia by converting it into less toxic substances such as urea by the urea cycle which occurs in the liver of our body. The produced urea from the liver travels into the bloodstream to the kidneys and is ultimately excreted out from the body in urine.
This urea cycle which converts ammonia to uric acid in the liver occurs in ureotelic organisms. The conversion is necessary because if ammonia is not eliminated from the body of an individual it can be very detrimental. In organisms like birds and insects, the ammonia is converted into uric acid which is excreted in solid form.
Hence, the correct option is D. Ureotelic animals.

Note: There are five reactions that occur in the body of ureotelic organisms in order to convert ammonia into uric acid for the excretion from the body. The products of the urea cycle are uric acid which requires energy in order to convert in the body.