amino acids

Cultural

Basic organic molecules (see also organic molecule) that combine to form proteins. Amino acids are made up of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. Some examples of amino acids are lysine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan.

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Amino acids are the basic molecular building blocks of proteins.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The supplement uses amino acids that are already produced at large scale and are considered safe.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that can play roles in regulating hormones, releasing neurotransmitters and repairing tissue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Peptides are chains of amino acids that carry signals to cells.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Ingest a small but powerful tab of L.A.-grown protein-rich amino acids optimized to enhance their longevity and fat-burning properties, and let the aminos take you away.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Life is certainly more than the amino acids that make up its proteins and the nucleotides that make up its nucleic acids.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023