glycine

American  

[glahy-seen, glahy-seen] / ˈglaɪ sin, glaɪˈsin /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a colorless, crystalline, sweet, water-soluble solid, H 2 NCH 2 COOH, the simplest amino acid: used chiefly in organic synthesis and biochemical research. Gly; G

---

glycine British  

/ ɡlaɪˈsiːn, ˈɡlaɪsiːn /

noun

1. a nonessential amino acid occurring in most proteins that acts as a neurotransmitter; aminoacetic acid

---

glycine Scientific  

/ glī′sēn′,-sĭn /

1. A nonessential amino acid. Glycine is the simplest amino acid. Chemical formula: C ₂ H ₅ NO ₂ .

2. See more at amino acid

---

Etymology

Origin of glycine

First recorded in 1850–55; glyc- + -ine ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

glycine

The data indicate that its glycine may have formed not in warm liquid water, but in frozen ice exposed to radiation in the outer regions of the young solar system.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026

For many years, the leading explanation for how glycine formed was a process known as Strecker synthesis.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026

Katie decided to try magnesium glycinate - a combination of magnesium and glycine, an amino acid with limited evidence linking it to better sleep.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2025

The recently published research focused on the foundational steps of carbon dioxide sequestration using aqueous glycine, an amino acid known for its absorbent qualities.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2023

Yes, but that room with two windows, on the second story—" "I know it, we call it the glycine room.

From The Hollow Needle; Further adventures of Arsene Lupin by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander