amino acid
Other forms: amino acids
An amino acids is an organic compound, and it serves as a building block for proteins.
Each amino acid contains an amino group and a carboxylic acid group. Amino acids are important because they make up proteins, which are a vital part of your diet. When you consume food with amino acids, it turns them into proteins which are a source of energy. There are amino acids in food like bacon and eggs, which is why you get a burst of energy after eating them.
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organic compounds containing an amino group and a carboxylic acid group“proteins are composed of various proportions of about 20 common amino acids”synonyms: aminoalkanoic acidtypes:alaninea crystalline amino acid that occurs in many proteinsasparaginea crystalline amino acid found in proteins and in many plants (e.g., asparagus)aspartic acida crystalline amino acid found in proteins and occurring naturally in sugar beets and sugar canecanavaninean amino acid found in the jack beancitrullinean amino acid that does not occur in proteins but is an intermediate in the conversion of ornithine to argininecysteinean amino acid containing sulfur that is found in most proteins; oxidizes on exposure to air to form cystinecystinea crystalline amino acid found in proteins (especially keratin); discovered in bladder stonesdihydroxyphenylalanine, dopaamino acid that is formed in the liver and converted into dopamine in the brainessential amino acidan amino acid that is required by animals but that they cannot synthesize; must be supplied in the dietGABA, gamma aminobutyric acidan amino acid that is found in the central nervous system; acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitterglutamic acid, glutaminic acidan amino acid occurring in proteins; important in the nitrogen metabolism of plants; used in monosodium glutamate to enhance the flavor of meatsglutaminea crystalline amino acid occurring in proteins; important in protein metabolismglycinethe simplest amino acid found in proteins and the principal amino acid in sugar canehydroxyprolinea crystalline amino acid obtained from gelatin or collageniodoamino acidan amino acid with iodine addedornithinean amino acid that does not occur in proteins but is important in the formation of ureaprolinean amino acid that is found in many proteins (especially collagen)creatin, creatinean amino acid that does not occur in proteins but is found in the muscle tissue of vertebrates both in the free form and as phosphocreatine; supplies energy for muscle contractionsarcosinea sweetish crystalline amino acidserinea sweetish crystalline amino acid involved in the synthesis by the body of cysteinethyroninea phenolic amino acid of which thyroxine is a derivativetyramineamino acid derived from tyrosine; has a sympathomimetic action; found in chocolate and cola drinks and ripe cheese and beertyrosinean amino acid found in most proteins; a precursor of several hormonesBendopa, Brocadopa, L-dopa, Larodopa, levodopathe levorotatory form of dopa (trade names Bendopa and Brocadopa and Larodopa); as a drug it is used to treat Parkinson's diseaseargininea bitter tasting amino acid found in proteins and necessary for nutrition; its absence from the diet leads to a reduced production of spermatozoaiodotyrosinetyrosine with iodine addediodothyroninethyronine with iodine addedhistidinean essential amino acid found in proteins that is important for the growth and repair of tissueisoleucinean essential amino acid found in proteins; isomeric with leucineleucinea white crystalline amino acid occurring in proteins that is essential for nutrition; obtained by the hydrolysis of most dietary proteinslysinean essential amino acid found in proteins; occurs especially in gelatin and caseinmethioninea crystalline amino acid containing sulfur; found in most proteins and essential for nutritionphenylalaninean essential amino acid found in proteins and needed for growth of children and for protein metabolism in children and adults; abundant in milk and eggs; it is normally converted to tyrosine in the human bodythreoninea colorless crystalline amino acid found in protein; occurs in the hydrolysates of certain proteins; an essential component of human nutritiontryptophan, tryptophanean amino acid that occurs in proteins; is essential for growth and normal metabolism; a precursor of niacinvalinean essential amino acid found in proteins; important for growth in children and nitrogen balance in adultstype of:organic compoundany compound of carbon and another element or a radical
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Vocabulary lists containing amino acid
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