cysteine

American  

[sis-tee-een, -in] / ˈsɪs tiˌin, -ɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a crystalline amino acid, C 3 H 7 O 2 NS, a component of nearly all proteins, obtained by the reduction of cystine. Cys; C

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cysteine British  

/ ˈsɪstɪˌiːn, -ɪn /

noun

1. a sulphur-containing amino acid, present in proteins, that oxidizes on exposure to air to form cystine. Formula: HSCH 2 CH(NH 2 )COOH

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cysteine Scientific  

/ sĭs′tə-ēn′ /

1. A nonessential amino acid. Chemical formula: C ₃ H ₇ NO ₂ S.

2. See more at amino acid

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Other Word Forms

• cysteinic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of cysteine

First recorded in 1880–85; alteration of cystine

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Compare meaning

How does cysteine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cysteine vs. cystine

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cysteine

That reaction ultimately frees cysteine that the cell can use.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026

Among all the amino acids tested, cysteine produced the strongest regenerative effect on both stem cells and progenitor cells, which eventually mature into adult intestinal cells.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2026

The MIT team is now exploring whether cysteine may also support regeneration in other tissues.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2026

They found that a mirror version of cysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, can significantly slow the growth of certain tumors while leaving healthy cells largely unaffected.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2026

Beans have both lysine and tryptophan, but not the amino acids cysteine and methionine, which are provided by maize.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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