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

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glycine British  

/ ɡlaɪˈsiːn, ˈɡlaɪsiːn /

noun

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

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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

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Etymology

Origin of glycine

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

glycine

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

From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026

"We saw that the glycine molecules started reacting with each other to form peptides and water. This indicates that the same process occurs in interstellar space," Alfred Thomas Hopkinson says.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 21, 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

By analyzing the protonation/deprotonation of glycine molecules, the researchers observed a hydrophobic water/water interface close to the metal surface, leading to a destabilization of zwitterionic forms of glycine.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2024

We needed not only the essential bulk chemicals, such as amidol, metol, para-amidophenol, and glycine, but also certain rarer substances, such as the photographic sensitisers, which were so essential for the Air Force.

From The Riddle of the Rhine; chemical strategy in peace and war by Victor Lefebure