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"
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"
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
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 genus of Asiatic erect or sprawling herbs: soya bean
hydroxyproline a crystalline amino acid obtained from gelatin or collagen
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)
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
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"
amino acid Organic compounds containing a carboxyl group (-COOH) and an amino group (-NH2). About 30 amino acids are known. They are fundamental constituents of living matter because protein molecules are made up of many amino acid molecules combined together. Amino acids are synthesized by green plants and some bacteria, but some (arginine, histidine, lysine. threonine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, phenylalanine, tryptophane) cannot be synthesized by animals and therefore are essential constituents of their diet. Proteins from specific plants may lack certain amino acids, so a vegetarian diet must include a wide range of plant products.\n(Source: ALL)
