Essential amino acid
Essential Amino Acid
Essential amino acids are a group of amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from the diet.
Pronunciation
Essential Amino Acid: /ɪˈsɛnʃəl ˈæminoʊ ˈæsɪd/
Etymology
The term "essential" comes from the Latin word "essentia" meaning "being, essence", and "amino acid" is derived from the Latin "amino" meaning "containing both nitrogen and protein" and "acidus" meaning "sour, sharp".
Definition
Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot synthesize on its own and must be obtained from dietary sources. There are nine essential amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Related Terms
- Non-essential amino acids: Amino acids that the body can synthesize on its own.
- Protein: A complex molecule composed of amino acids.
- Dietary protein: Protein obtained from food sources.
- Amino acid metabolism: The process by which the body uses and breaks down amino acids.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Essential amino acid
- Wikipedia's article - Essential amino acid
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski