The human body can make 10 of the twenty amino acids, but the other 10 must be obtained through food. These are the essential amino acids.
The essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Arginine is an essential amino acid for babies and young children, but it is a non-essential amino acid for adults.