# What is your favorite amino acid?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-amino-acid/498759>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 5, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-amino-acid/498759 "2009-06-05T01:02:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-amino-acid/498759/21 "2009-06-06T05:30:30Z")

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Tryptophan.

'Scuse me, I’m sleepy.

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**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-amino-acid/498759/22 "2009-06-06T05:44:36Z")

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Just to be different, I’m going to say Cysteine.

It forms disulfide bonds, essential for proper protein folding and structure.

According to wikipedia, it supports the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid, reducing the toxicity of alcohol – what could be better than being able to tolerate more booze?

N-acetylcysteine is a handy little molecule which is used as a mucolytic, or to treat Tylenol overdose, or to protect the kidneys from IV contrast agents.

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**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-amino-acid/498759/23 "2009-06-06T05:53:18Z")

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The Exocyst scared the beejezus out of me when I was a kid, but now I really like it.

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