丙氨酸

bǐng'ānsuān

noun

Meanings

1 alanine (Ala) - an amino acid

Characters

third (Heavenly Stem); 'C-'

Examples

HSK 7-9

丙氨酸是构成蛋白质的二十种氨基酸之一。

Bǐng'ānsuān shì gòuchéng dànbáizhì de èrshí zhǒng ānjīsuān zhīyī.

Alanine is one of the twenty amino acids that make up proteins.

HSK 7-9

肝功能检查会测丙氨酸氨基转移酶。

Gāngōngnéng jiǎnchá huì cè bǐng'ānsuān ānjī zhuǎnyí méi.

Liver function tests measure alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

Tips

usage

丙 is the third Heavenly Stem (甲乙丙丁...). In Chinese chemistry it stands in for the three-carbon prefix 'prop-/propan-', so 丙氨酸 = 'propan-amine-acid' = alanine. The same logic gives 丙酮 (propanone/acetone) and 丙烯 (propene). Most often seen in the liver test 谷丙转氨酶 (ALT).

Stroke Order

丙 bǐng

氨 ān

酸 suān