Question:

Urea, creatinine, and nitric oxide are formed from which amino acid?

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A urea-cycle amino acid that also donates the guanidino group for creatine.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
  • Histidine
  • Glycine
  • Cysteine
  • Arginine
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Arginine is a semi-essential (conditionally essential) amino acid and is one of the most metabolically versatile amino acids.
Step 2: Arginine serves as a precursor for the synthesis of urea (via the urea cycle), nitric oxide (via nitric oxide synthase), polyamines, proline, glutamate, creatine, and agmatine.
Step 3: Creatine (and hence creatinine, its breakdown product) is synthesized using arginine and glycine, with arginine donating the guanidino group. So arginine links all three named products. Option (d) is correct.
Step 4: Histidine yields histamine, glycine alone forms heme and conjugates, and cysteine forms glutathione and taurine, none of which simultaneously give urea, nitric oxide, and creatinine.
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