cyclic AMP

[ sahy-klik ey-em-pee, sik lik ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a cyclic anhydride of adenosine monophosphate formed from adenosine triphosphate by the action of adenylate cyclase: in cellular metabolism, it acts as an intracellular amplifier or second messenger of signals derived from hormones or neurotransmitters.

cyclic AMP

noun

1. cyclic adenosine monophosphate: a constituent of biological cells, responsible for triggering processes that are dependent on hormones

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyclic AMP¹

First recorded in 1965–70