alpha-amino acid

(redirected from a-amino acid)

α-a·mi·no ac·id

(ă-mē'nō as'id),
Typically, an amino acid of the general formula R-CHNH3+-COO- (that is, the amino in the α position); the l forms of these are the hydrolysis products of proteins. In rarer usages, this class of molecules also includes α-amino phosphoric acids and α-aminosulfonic acids.
References in periodicals archive ?
L-Ala is an a-amino acid and is one of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids, i.
The substances utilized for what is commonly referred to as 'protein therapeutics' have one thing in common they are all composed primarily of a-amino acids; and these a-amino acids are linked together by a distinct chemical bond known as a "peptide" bond.