nutrient
Aspartic acid
A non-essential amino acid that connects nitrogen handling with central metabolism.
Aspartate can exchange amino groups and its carbon portion can enter the citric-acid-cycle network.
A crossroads for nitrogen and carbon
Transamination lets aspartate exchange an amino group with another metabolic intermediate. Its remaining carbon portion can enter the cycle as oxaloacetate.
Related topics
Aspartic acid is used to build Protein
Aspartic acid is one of the amino acids used to assemble proteins.
Worth knowing
Its side chain is usually negatively charged. Aspartate has a second carboxyl group, which commonly carries a negative charge in physiological conditions.
A closer look
Aspartate and asparagine are related
Asparagine is the amide form related to aspartate; the two have different side-chain chemistry and metabolic entry points.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- NIH National Library of MedicineBiochemistry, Essential Amino AcidsChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH National Library of MedicineBiochemistry, Protein CatabolismChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH National Library of MedicineBiochemistry, Primary Protein StructureChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH National Library of MedicineBiochemistry, Collagen SynthesisChecked 2026-09-05