alanine

[ al-uh-neen, -nin ]

nounBiochemistry.
  1. any of several isomers of a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble amino acid, CH3CH(NH2)COOH, found in many proteins and produced synthetically: used chiefly in biochemical research. Abbreviation: Ala; Symbol: A

Origin of alanine

1
1860–65; al(dehyde) + -an- (arbitrarily inserted) + -ine2

Words Nearby alanine

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British Dictionary definitions for alanine

alanine

/ (ˈæləˌniːn, -ˌnaɪn) /


noun
  1. a nonessential aliphatic amino acid that occurs in many proteins

Origin of alanine

1
C19: from German Alanin, from al (dehyde) + -an- (euphonic infix) + -in -ine ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for alanine

alanine

[ ălə-nēn′ ]


  1. A nonessential amino acid. Chemical formula: C3H7NO2. See more at amino acid.

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