Tyrosine

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Tyrosine

Tyrosine (pronounced: /ˈtaɪroʊziːn/, from the Greek tyros, meaning cheese, as it was first discovered in cheese) is one of the 20 standard amino acids used by cells to synthesize proteins. It is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that it can be synthesized by the human body.

Etymology

The word "Tyrosine" is derived from the Greek word "tyros" which means cheese. It was first discovered in cheese in 1846 by German chemist Justus von Liebig.

Function

Tyrosine is a precursor to neurotransmitters and increases dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain. It is involved in the production of melanin and is a precursor to the thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine.

Related Terms

  • Amino Acid: Organic compounds that combine to form proteins. Tyrosine is one of the 20 standard amino acids.
  • Dopamine: A type of neurotransmitter. Your body makes it, and your nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells.
  • Norepinephrine: A neurotransmitter that is important for attentiveness, emotions, sleeping, dreaming, and learning.
  • Melanin: The pigment that gives human skin, hair, and eyes their color.
  • Thyroxine: The main hormone produced by the thyroid gland, acting to increase metabolic rate and so regulating growth and development.
  • Triiodothyronine: A thyroid hormone similar to thyroxine but having greater potency.

External links

Esculaap.svg

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