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ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An amino acid that is required by animals but that they cannot synthesize; must be supplied in the diet
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("essential amino acid" is a kind of...):
amino acid; aminoalkanoic acid (organic compounds containing an amino group and a carboxylic acid group)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "essential amino acid"):
arginine (a bitter tasting amino acid found in proteins and necessary for nutrition; its absence from the diet leads to a reduced production of spermatozoa)
histidine (an essential amino acid found in proteins that is important for the growth and repair of tissue)
isoleucine (an essential amino acid found in proteins; isomeric with leucine)
leucine (a white crystalline amino acid occurring in proteins that is essential for nutrition; obtained by the hydrolysis of most dietary proteins)
lysine (an essential amino acid found in proteins; occurs especially in gelatin and casein)
methionine (a crystalline amino acid containing sulfur; found in most proteins and essential for nutrition)
phenylalanine (an essential amino acid found in proteins and needed for growth of children and for protein metabolism in children and adults; abundant in milk and eggs; it is normally converted to tyrosine in the human body)
threonine (a colorless crystalline amino acid found in protein; occurs in the hydrolysates of certain proteins; an essential component of human nutrition)
tryptophan; tryptophane (an amino acid that occurs in proteins; is essential for growth and normal metabolism; a precursor of niacin)
valine (an essential amino acid found in proteins; important for growth in children and nitrogen balance in adults)
Context examples:
A disorder characterized by the body's inability to break down and utilize the essential amino acid phenylalanine.
(Phenylketonuria, NCI Thesaurus)
The hydrochloride salt form of arginine, an essential amino acid in juvenile humans.
(Arginine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)
One of nine essential amino acids in humans (provided by food), Leucine is important for protein synthesis and many metabolic functions.
(Leucine, NCI Thesaurus)
Methionine is an essential amino acid for animals, making cysteine indirectly an essential amino acid as well.
(Biosynthesis of Cysteine Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
It is considered a non-essential amino acid; however, in patients with phenylketonuria who lack phenylalanine hydroxylase and cannot convert phenylalanine into tyrosine, it is considered an essential nutrient.
(L-Tyrosine, NCI Thesaurus)
One of nine essential amino acids in humans required for growth and tissue repair, Lysine is supplied by many foods, especially red meats, fish, and dairy products.
(Lysine, NCI Thesaurus)
A non-essential amino acid and dextro isomer of serine with antipsychotic activity.
(D-Serine, NCI Thesaurus)
A non-essential amino acid in humans, Aspartic Acid has an overall negative charge and plays an important role in the synthesis of other amino acids and in the citric acid and urea cycles.
(Aspartic Acid, NCI Thesaurus)
A non-essential amino acid in humans, Asparagine is a beta-amido derivative of aspartic acid and plays an important role in the biosynthesis of glycoproteins and other proteins.
(Asparagine, NCI Thesaurus)
A nutritional supplement containing the active metabolite of the essential amino acid leucine, with potential anti-catabolic and anabolic activities.
(Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate Supplement, NCI Thesaurus)
