amino acids

Cultural  

1. 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

“You build on the brain’s natural ability to bring in important things, like iron or amino acids, and catch a ride,” he says.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

Peptides—short chains of amino acids marketed for recovery, muscle growth and antiaging—have become popular among U.S. wellness figures including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joe Rogan, despite limited evidence for many of their claimed benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

During this process, ribosomes move along mRNA strands and assemble proteins by adding amino acids one at a time.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

Proteins are essential because they contain amino acids that animals cannot make themselves.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

And a Spanish biochemist in New York, Severo Ochoa, launched a parallel effort to map the triplet code to corresponding amino acids.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee