tryptophan: Meaning and Definition of

tryp•to•phan

Pronunciation: (trip'tu-fan"), [key]
— n. Biochem.
  1. an essential amino acid, (CHN)CHCH(NH)COOH, colorless, crystalline, and aromatic, released from proteins by tryptic digestion and a precursor of serotonin. Abbr: Trp; Symbol: W&hasp;
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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