ALL meanings of amino acid
a·mi·no ac·id
A a - countable noun amino acid Amino acids are substances containing nitrogen and hydrogen and which are found in proteins. Amino acids occur naturally in the body. 3
- noun amino acid any of a group of organic compounds containing one or more amino groups, -NH2, and one or more carboxyl groups, -COOH. The alpha-amino acids RCH(NH2)COOH (where R is either hydrogen or an organic group) are the component molecules of proteins; some can be synthesized in the body (nonessential amino acids) and others cannot and are thus essential components of the diet (essential amino acids) 3
- noun amino acid any of a large group of organic acids containing a carboxyl group, COOH, and an amino group, NH2 3
- noun amino acid any of the 25 amino acids that link together into polypeptide chains to form proteins that are necessary for all life: in general, they are water-soluble, crystalline, amphoteric electrolytes having mirror-image isomeric forms with right and left optical activity: ten of these (essential amino acids) cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be consumed 3
- noun amino acid Amino acids are substances containing nitrogen and hydrogen that are found in proteins. 3
- noun amino acid any of a class of organic compounds that contains at least one amino group, –NH 2 , and one carboxyl group, –COOH: the alpha-amino acids, RCH(NH 2)COOH, are the building blocks from which proteins are constructed. 1
- noun amino acid organic compound found in living cells 1
- noun amino acid (organic chemistry) Any organic compound containing both an amino and a carboxylic acid functional group. 0
- noun amino acid (biochemistry) Any of the twenty naturally occurring α-amino acids (having the amino, and carboxylic acid groups on the same carbon atom), and a variety of side chains, that combine, via peptide bonds, to form proteins. 0