amino acid

an organic compound that contains an amino group (–NH₂) and a carboxyl group (–COOH). Twenty amino acids are constituents of proteins; nine of these are essential amino acids, that is, they cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from foods. Other amino acids (e.g., glutamic acid, glycine) are neurotransmitters or precursors to neurotransmitters.

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Psychology term of the day

November 16th 2024

chromatid

n. in cell division, one of the two duplicate, filamentlike subunits, joined at the centromere, that make up a chromosome and then separate, each going to a different pole of the dividing cell to become a new chromosome in one of the daughter cells.