amino acid (redirected from Essential amino acids)

amino acid

n.

An organic compound containing an amino group (NH₂), a carboxylic acid group (COOH), and any of various side groups, especially any of the 20 compounds that have the basic formula NH₂CHRCOOH, and that link together by peptide bonds to form proteins or that function as chemical messengers and as intermediates in metabolism.

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amino acid [am-mean-oh]

Noun

Chem any of a group of organic compounds containing the [amino] group, -NH₂, and one or more carboxyl groups, -COOH, esp. one that is a component of protein

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amino acid

Any of a large number of compounds found in living cells that contain carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, and join together to form proteins. Amino acids contain a basic amino group (NH₂) and an acidic carboxyl group (COOH), both attached to the same carbon atom. Since the carboxyl group has a proton available for binding with the electrons of another atom, and the amino group has electrons available for binding with a proton from another atom, the amino acid behaves as an acid and a base simultaneously. Twenty of the naturally occurring amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which they form by being connected to each other in chains. Eight of those twenty, called essential amino acids, cannot be synthesized in the cells of humans and must be consumed as part of the diet. The remaining twelve are nonessential amino acids.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

amino acid - organic compounds containing an amino group and a carboxylic acid group; "proteins are composed of various proportions of about 20 common amino acids" aminoalkanoic acid alanine - a crystalline amino acid that occurs in many proteins asparagine - a crystalline amino acid found in proteins and in many plants (e.g., asparagus) aspartic acid - a crystalline amino acid found in proteins and occurring naturally in sugar beets and sugar cane canavanine - an amino acid found in the jack bean citrulline - an amino acid that does not occur in proteins but is an intermediate in the conversion of ornithine to arginine cysteine - an amino acid containing sulfur that is found in most proteins; oxidizes on exposure to air to form cystine cystine - a crystalline amino acid found in proteins (especially keratin); discovered in bladder stones dihydroxyphenylalanine, dopa - amino acid that is formed in the liver and converted into dopamine in the brain essential amino acid - an amino acid that is required by animals but that they cannot synthesize; must be supplied in the diet GABA, gamma aminobutyric acid - an amino acid that is found in the central nervous system; acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter glutamic acid, glutaminic acid - an amino acid occurring in proteins; important in the nitrogen metabolism of plants; used in monosodium glutamate to enhance the flavor of meats glutamine - a crystalline amino acid occurring in proteins; important in protein metabolism glycine - the simplest amino acid found in proteins and the principal amino acid in sugar cane hydroxyproline - a crystalline amino acid obtained from gelatin or collagen iodoamino acid - an amino acid with iodine added ornithine - an amino acid that does not occur in proteins but is important in the formation of urea proline - an amino acid that is found in many proteins (especially collagen) organic compound - any compound of carbon and another element or a radical protein - any of a large group of nitrogenous organic compounds that are essential constituents of living cells; consist of polymers of amino acids; essential in the diet of animals for growth and for repair of tissues; can be obtained from meat and eggs and milk and legumes; "a diet high in protein" creatin, creatine - an 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 contraction sarcosine - a sweetish crystalline amino acid serine - a sweetish crystalline amino acid involved in the synthesis by the body of cysteine thyronine - a phenolic amino acid of which thyroxine is a derivative tyramine - amino acid derived from tyrosine; has a sympathomimetic action; found in chocolate and cola drinks and ripe cheese and beer; "patients taking MAOIs should avoid foods containing tyramine" tyrosine - an amino acid found in most proteins; a precursor of several hormones