When the urea cycle doesn’t work properly, it can cause serious health problems.

The urea cycle helps change harmful ammonia (NH₃) into urea. Urea is then removed from the body through the kidneys.

Important Effects:

1. High Blood Ammonia (Hyperammonemia):

   • When ammonia levels in the blood go up (more than 50 μmol/L), it can cause issues.
   • You might feel very tired, throw up, or have problems thinking clearly.

2. Changes in Amino Acids:

   • High ammonia levels can lead to too many amino acids in the blood, especially glutamine and alanine.

3. Ongoing Brain Damage:

   • Too much ammonia can hurt the brain, causing swelling and problems with your thoughts and actions.

4. Urea Cycle Disorders:

   • These are rare genetic conditions and happen in about 1 out of every 30,000 babies born.

To reduce these serious health problems, it’s really important to find and manage these issues early.