amino acid
nounDefinition of amino acid
: an amphoteric organic acid containing the amino group NH2
especially
: any of the various amino acids having the amino group in the alpha position that are the chief components of proteins and are synthesized by living cells or are obtained as essential components of the diet
Examples of amino acid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, the antioxidants and amino acids are great for overall hair health. — Jessica Ourisman, Good Housekeeping, "What Rice Water Can Do For Your Hair, According to Experts," 5 Aug. 2019 There are candies and brownies, too, all marketed as calming or anxiety-alleviating, with detailed explanations of how the herbal supplements, amino acids or compounds within can put us at ease. — Maura Judkis, Twin Cities, "A dozen stress-relief snacks, tinctures and teas later, and sheās still anxious," 3 Aug. 2019 Some astronomers believe the ocean may contain the chemical ingredients required for life, such as molecular hydrogen and amino acids. — Dan Falk, NBC News, "Facts about Saturn's rings, moons and more," 22 July 2019 Pair that with the Jumbo Amino Acid Conditioner ($58), with its moisture-boosting jojoba oils and amino acids, and your newly sleek hair will be singing your praises for months to come. — Alexis Rhiannon, Allure, "You Can Get Jumbo-Sized Kiehl's Products During Nordstromās Amazing Anniversary Sale," 12 July 2019 With 20 possible amino acids to occupy each of those positions, there would seemingly have been more than 20300 possibilities to sift through, a quantity that renders the number of atoms in the observable universe inconsequential. — Quanta Magazine, "Mathematical Simplicity May Drive Evolutionās Speed," 29 Nov. 2018 Since there are 20 amino acids, this produced a 20-tone scale. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Amino acids make beautiful music to design novel protein structures," 26 June 2019 Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase helps process amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. — Tara C. Smith, SELF, "Why You Don't Actually Need to Test for MTHFR Gene Variants," 18 Mar. 2019 Some conditions, such as phenylketonuria, a genetic disorder that affects the processing of amino acids, have strong data to inform dietary recommendations. — Caitlin Ostroff, WSJ, "Your DNA, Your Diet: How Nutrition Is Being Personalized," 30 Aug. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amino acid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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