Dictionary > Amino acid

Amino acid

Definition
noun, plural: amino acids
(1) A molecule consisting of the basic amino group (NH2), the acidic carboxylic group (COOH), a hydrogen atom (-H), and an organic side group (R) attached to the carbon atom, thus, having the basic formula of NH2CHRCOOH.
(2) The building block of protein in which each is coded for by a codon and linked together through peptide bonds.
Supplement
There are over 100 amino acids that have been found to occur naturally; each of them differs in R group. Twenty of them are involved in making up a protein, and are classified as whether they are non-essential or essential. Non-essential or dispensable amino acids are synthesized in the body. They are alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Essential or indispensable amino acids cannot be synthesized in the body and can only be obtained through food. They are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Related phrases: essential amino acid, nonessential amino acid, basic amino acid, polar amino acid, amino acid transmitter, amino acid permease, nonpolar amino acid, dibasic amino acid, alpha-amino acid.
See also: imino acid.

You will also like...

Chemical Composition of the Body

The body is comprised of different elements with hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen as the major four. This tutorial will help you understand the chemical composition of the body. This will come in handy when considering the various interactions between cells and structures. ..

Read More

Genetic Information and Protein Synthesis

Genes are expressed through the process of protein synthesis. This elaborate tutorial provides an in-depth review of the different steps of the biological production of protein starting from the gene up to the process of secretion. Also included are topics on DNA replication during interphase of the cell cycle, DNA mutation and repair mechanisms, gene pool, modification, and diseases...

Read More

Protein Activity and Cellular Metabolism

Proteins have a crucial role in various biological activities. Get to know how proteins are able to perform as enzymes, cofactors, or regulators. In this tutorial, you will also know the common metabolic pathways of biomolecules, such as glucose and other carbohydrates, fats, proteins and amino acids, and essential nutrients...

Read More

Plant Metabolism

Plants are responsible for incredible feats of molecular transformation. Plant processes, such as photosynthesis, photophosphorylation, chemiosmosis, carbon fixing reactions, respiration, are presented in this tutorial...

Read More

Digestion and Absorption of Food

The gastrointestinal system breaks down particles of ingested food into molecular forms by enzymes through digestion and then transferred to the internal environment by absorption. Find out more about these processes carried out by the gastrointestinal system through this tutorial...

Read More

Role of Golgi Apparatus & Endoplasmic Reticulum in Protein Synthesis

The endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus are the organelles involved in the translation step of protein synthesis and the ensuing post-translational steps. Read this tutorial for more info...

Read More