amino acid

Thân thiện

A student studies a diagram of an amino acid structure in a biology textbook.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of organic compound: An amino acid is a molecule that contains both a basic amino group (-NH₂) and an acidic carboxyl group (-COOH). These are the fundamental building blocks of proteins in living organisms.

Usage

• Amino acids are essential for life. They link together in chains to form proteins, which perform countless functions in the body, from building tissues to enabling chemical reactions.
• The human body uses about 20 common amino acids to synthesize proteins. Some of these the body can make itself (non-essential), while others must be obtained from food (essential amino acids).

Examples

• Noun:
  • Proteins are composed of various proportions of about 20 common amino acids.
  • Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in foods like turkey and milk.
  • Scientists analyzed the amino acid sequence of the enzyme.

Advanced Usage

• "Amino acid residue": Refers to an amino acid unit that is part of a polypeptide or protein chain, having lost a water molecule during the bond formation.
  • The active site of the protein contains a critical serine amino acid residue.
• "Amino acid profile": The specific composition and quantity of amino acids in a food source or protein supplement.
  • Whey protein has an excellent amino acid profile for muscle recovery.

Variants and Related Words

• Amino (adj): Relating to or containing an amino group. Often used as a prefix.
  • The amino group is a key functional part of the molecule.
• Aminoacyl (adj): Referring to an amino acid that is attached to another molecule, such as transfer RNA (tRNA) during protein synthesis.
  • Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase is a crucial enzyme in translation.

Synonyms

• None direct: There is no single common word that is a perfect synonym for "amino acid." It is a specific biochemical term. In broader contexts, it might be referred to as a protein building block or a monomer of proteins.

Related Phrases

• "Essential amino acid": An amino acid that cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from the diet.
  • Lysine is an essential amino acid for humans.
• "Amino acid metabolism": The set of biochemical processes that create and break down amino acids in cells.
  • Disorders of amino acid metabolism can cause serious health problems.

Related Idioms

• None direct: "Amino acid" is a scientific term and is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions.

Học thuật

Noun

1. organic compounds containing an amino group and a carboxylic acid group
   • proteins are composed of various proportions of about 20 common amino acids

Từ đồng nghĩa

• aminoalkanoic acid