alpha-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.