Phenylalanine is an amino acid, a compound your body uses to make proteins. It's an essential amino acid, meaning you must get it from your diet because the human body can't produce it.
Phenylalanine is metabolized to produce maleylacetoacetate in a four-step biochemical reaction. Absence of the enzyme homogentisate oxidase causes the buildup of homogentisate, leading to the ...