Ornithine
/ˈɔːr.nɪ.θiːn/noun
An amino acid involved in the urea cycle and in the biosynthesis of other compounds.
Did you know?Ornithine was named from Greek *ornis* (“bird”) because it was first isolated from bird droppings, a reminder that scientific names often preserve the weirdest origins.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ορνις (ornis)
“bird”
Late 19th Century
French
ornithine
“a newly identified organic compound”
1886
French
ornithine
“the amino acid first isolated from bird excrement”
Modern English
English
ornithine
“an amino acid central to the urea cycle”
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