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Molecule

Tyrosine

L-tyrosine

Tyrosine is an aromatic amino acid with a hydroxyl group that makes it more polar than phenylalanine.

Overview

EXPLORE BY LEVEL

Tyrosine is an aromatic with a hydroxyl group that makes it more polar than phenylalanine.

Quick Facts

AT A GLANCE
One-letter codeY
Three-letter codeTyr
Chemical formulaC₉H₁₁NO₃
Side chainPhenyl ring with a hydroxyl group
Show 3 more facts
Side-chain chemistryAromatic and polar; weakly acidic phenol
Human dietary contextUsually synthesized from phenylalanine; can become conditionally essential when that route is impaired
Protein-building setOne of the 20 standard protein-building amino acids

Follow the Connections

See how Tyrosine links to other biological records.

Open network
ConceptAmino AcidsincludesProcessTranslationincorporated during
All 2 Structured Connections
Amino Acids · ConceptINCLUDES →Tyrosine · Molecule
Tyrosine · MoleculeINCORPORATED DURING →Translation · Process

Recommended Reading

Trusted references for learning more about Tyrosine.

textbookChemical Components of a CellMolecular Biology of the Cell · NCBI Bookshelf textbookFrom RNA to proteinMolecular Biology of the Cell · NCBI Bookshelf
Research Claims

Tyrosine is a standard amino acid commonly used to build proteins.

Tyrosine uses the residue codes Tyr and Y.