102 THE AMINO ACIDS 



R.CH 2 .C(OH).NH 2 .COOH 

 Hydroxy-amino acid 

 R . CH 2 . CO . COOH + CO 2 + NH, 

 Ketone acid 



By cleavage of CO 2 this becomes a fatty acid with less 

 carbon atoms. 



R. CH 2 . CO. COOH 

 Ketone acid 



= R.CH 2 . COOH 



By further cleavage this fatty acid is changed to 

 CO 2 + H 2 0. 



In an abnormal organism, such as that of the dia- 

 betic, leucine may yield beta-oxybutyric acid instead of 

 acetone. The reactions involved follow. 



acid 



