ˈtriptəˌfan noun
also tryp·to·phane -fān
( -s )
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary trypt ic + -o- + -phane
: a crystalline amino acid (C 8 H 6 N)CH 2 CH(NH 2 )COOH that is obtained in the levorotatary l form from casein, fibrin, and other proteins (as by tryptic digestion) and in the racemic form by synthesis, that differs from most other naturally occurring amino acids in its instability toward mineral acids, and that is essential in the nutrition of animals and man; β-3-indolyl-alanine