The reason the protein requirement for an adult is so relatively low is because adults recycle amino acids from protein degradation with this efficiency:

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The question asks about why adult protein requirements are relatively low, tying it to the efficiency of amino acid recycling from protein degradation.
Option 10%: Suggesting only 10% recycling would imply most amino acids are wasted and not reused, which contradicts established knowledge that adults conserve amino acids efficiently through recycling. This makes the option biologically implausible.
Option 50%: Proposing that half of amino acids are recycled would indicate a moderate conservation, but the human body is known to recycle amino acids quite effectively to minimize dietary protein needs. This figure underestimates the efficiency of recycling in adults.
Option recycling doesn’t happen: This statement is incorrect because, in reality, protein turnover involves continuous degradation and resynthesis of proteins, with amino acids recovered from degraded proteins reused for new protein synthesis. The notion that recycling does not occur is factually wrong.
Option 90%: This choice aligns with the concept that adults efficiently reclaim amino acids from degraded proteins, substantially lowering the net dietary protein requirement. High recycling efficiency means less need for exogenous amino acids, supporting a relatively low requirement.
Option 25%: A 25% recycling rate would leave most amino acids unavailable for reuse, forcing higher dietary intake to meet needs, which contradicts observed adult protein requirements. This percentage undervalues the body's recycling capacity.
In summary, the correct framing emphasizes substantial, not partial, conservation of amino acids through recycling during protein turnover, which underpins the relatively modest adult protein requirements compared to growth or recovery scenarios, where recycling rates and needs differ significantly.

The reason the protein requirement for an adult is so relatively low is because adults recycle amino acids from protein degradation with this efficiency:

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