arginine

American  

[ahr-juh-neen, -nahyn, -nin] / ˈɑr dʒəˌnin, -ˌnaɪn, -nɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. an essential amino acid, C 6 H 14 N 4 O 2 : the free amino acid increases insulin secretion and is converted to urea in the liver by arginase. Arg; R

---

arginine British  

/ ˈɑːdʒɪˌnaɪn /

noun

1. an essential amino acid of plant and animal proteins, necessary for nutrition and for the production of excretory urea

---

arginine Scientific  

/ är′jə-nēn′ /

1. An amino acid that is essential for children but not for adults. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₁₄ N ₄ O ₂ .

---

Etymology

Origin of arginine

First recorded in 1885–90, arginine is from the German word Arginin, a name unexplained by its originators

Example Sentences

They then tested oral arginine in two well-established Alzheimer's models:

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

Creatine is naturally produced by the body in the liver, kidneys and pancreas using amino acids such as glycine, arginine and methionine.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

In both cases, arginine treatment reduced the accumulation of Aβ and lessened its harmful effects.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

Their analysis revealed that two amino acids, arginine and tyrosine, interact in a specific way that causes the silk proteins to cluster together at the earliest stages.

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2026

In vertebrates, the basis for the phosphoric acid is creatine, whereas invertebrates have arginine instead.

From History of Phosphorus by Farber, Eduard