How does amino acid get its name?

Answer 1

Common

Name Root Notes

Arginine L argentum, silver forms a well-defined silver salt

Asparagine asparagus first found in asparagus

Aspartic acid - related to asparagine

Cysteine - reduction product of cystine (which see)

Cystine Gk kystis, bladder first isolated from a bladder stone

Glutamic gluten + amino obtained by the hydrolysis of gluten, a

acid protein-rich product obtained in the

separation of starch from corn or wheat

Glutamine derived from glutamic acid (which see)

Glycine Gk glykys, sweet tastes sweet

Histidine Gk histion, tissue -

Isoleucine - isomer of leucine (which see)

Leucine Gk leukos, white obtained in the form of white plates

Lysine Gk lysis, loosening discovered among the products from

the hydrolysis of casein

Methionine methyl + thio contains a S atom (Gk theion, sulfur)

with a methyl group attached

Proline pyrrolidine contains a pyrrolidine ring

Serine L sericum, silk first isolated from silk

Threonine threose spatial configuration analogous to that

of D-threose, a 4-carbon sugar

Tryptophan tryptic + phane obtained from the pancreatic (tryptic)

digestion of proteins: tryptic, the adjective

form of trypsin, a pancreatic digestive enzyme;

phane, from Gk phanein, to appear

Tyrosine Gk tyros, cheese found in cheese

Valine valeric carbon skeleton corresponds to isovaleric

acid (3-methylbutanoic acid)

L indicates Latin; Gk indicates Greek.

Source: Leung, S. H. (2000). Amino Acids, Aromatic Compounds, and Carboxylic Acids: How Did They Get Their Common Names?, Journal of Chemical Education 77:1, 48-49.