deamination

chemical reaction

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

Deamination is a chemical reaction that involves the removal of an amino group (–NH2) from a compound. It is also referred to as deaminization or desamination. This process is crucial in biological systems, for example, in the breakdown of amino acids. An enzymatic oxidative deamination can convert glycine into glyoxylic acid and ammonia.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

excretion
Products of excretion
…acids for energy production is deamination, the splitting off of ammonia from the amino-acid molecule. The remainder is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water, with the concomitant production of the energy-rich molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP; see metabolism).
Read More
…acids for energy production is deamination, the splitting off of ammonia from the amino-acid molecule. The remainder is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water, with the concomitant production of the energy-rich molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP; see metabolism).
Read More