tryptophan 

organic compound, one of the 20 amino acids commonly found in animal proteins. Only the l -stereoisomer appears in mammalian protein. It is one of several essential amino acids needed in the diet; human beings cannot synthesize it from simpler metabolites. Young adults require about 7 mg of this amino acid per day per kg (3 mg per lb) of body weight. Nicotinic acid (niacin), a vitamin of the B complex, can be made from tryptophan in the body, but evidently the rate of transformation is insufficient for the demands of normal growth and maintenance, and hence nicotinic acid must be supplied in the diet. Deficiency of tryptophan in the diet enhances the progress of the vitamin-deficiency disease pellagra , which is treated by restoring nicotinic acid to the diet, usually supplemented with tryptophan. Bacteria in the intestine break tryptophan down to compounds such as skatole and indole, which to a great extent are responsible for the unpleasant odor of feces. Tryptophan contributes to the structure of proteins into which it has been incorporated by the tendency of its side chain to participate in hydrophobic interactions (see isoleucine ). The amino acid was isolated from casein (milk protein) in 1901, and its structure was established in 1907.

Thom ate so much turkey on thanksgiving he couldnt move for hours. that Bastard had OD'ed on Tryptophan

tryptophan by State November 25, 2004

tryptophan 

Turkey does have the makings of a natural sedative in it, an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning that the body cannot manufacture it. The body has to get tryptophan and other essential amino acids from food. Tryptophan helps the body produce the B-vitamin niacin, which, in turn, helps the body produce serotonin, a remarkable chemical that acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a role in sleep. So you might think that if you eat a lot of turkey, your body would produce more serotonin and you would feel calm and want a nap.

That was the conclusion that led many people to begin taking a dietary supplement of tryptophan in the 1980s as a way to treat insomnia, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned tryptophan supplements in 1990 because of an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia, a syndrome that causes muscle pain and even death. The FDA said contaminated tryptophan supplements caused the outbreak.

But nutritionists and other experts say that the tryptophan in turkey probably won't trigger the body to produce more serotonin because tryptophan works best on an empty stomach. The tryptophan in a Thanksgiving turkey has to vie with all the other amino acids that the body is trying to use. So only part of the tryptophan makes it to the brain to help produce serotonin.

It is the whole traditional Thanksgiving meal that can produce that after-dinner lethargy. The meal is quite often heavy and high in carbohydrates -- from mashed potatoes, bread, stuffing and pie -- and your body is working hard to digest that food. Also, if you drink alcohol with your dinner, you will likely feel its sedative effect, too.

There is a way to take advantage of the tryptophan in turkey. If you have trouble getting to sleep one night while there is still leftover turkey in the refrigerator, you could have a late snack of turkey and that, nutritionists say, might be the right amount of tryptophan on an empty stomach to help produce some serotonin.

Eat too much turkey, and you'll be asleep by 7 o'clock! That damn tryptophan!

tryptophan by Sir_Bryce July 25, 2008

tryptophan-tastic 

The feeling of absolute fullness and slight drunkenness after eating large amounts of turkey.

wow grandma, that meal was fuckin' tryptophan-tastic

tryptophan-tastic by Taco_Exchange December 27, 2007

tryptophan-dango 

noun - A Thanksgiving turkey feast, usually resulting in a nap.

from tryptophan - an amino acid found in poultry believed to cause drowsiness

and

fandango, a Spanish dance.

We did the tryptophan-dango, then slipped into a stupor on the sofa.

tryptophan-dango by mdphoto November 19, 2009

tryptophan thighs 

the phenomenon of cats falling asleep in certain people's laps. some people just have an amazing ability to induce cat naps at any given time. these people have tryptophan thighs.

wow how did you make butch cassidy fall asleep so fast, he was going crazy a mere 5 seconds ago.
idk, it must be my tryptophan thighs, he's passed out already.

tryptophan thighs by the Juan + only March 10, 2009

tryptophan coma

A fallacy that is perpetuated by people as an excuse for their lazy behavior following their diet-crushing Thanksgiving meal. Turkey has no more tryptophan than ground beef and, according to several sources, "tryptophan doesn't act on the brain unless it is taken on an empty stomach with no protein present, and the amount gobbled even during a holiday feast is generally too small to have an appreciable effect".

Instead, people should attribute their bullshit tryptophan coma to the large amount of carbohydrates and alcohol they consume that day... usually after a long drive to a relative's house that is hotter than normal because of the cooking.

tryptophan coma by Trendon November 27, 2005

tryptophan synthetase A protein 

The full name of the tryptophan synthetase A protein, an enzyme with 267 amino acids, extends to 1,913 letters:
methionylglutaminylarginyltyrosylglutam ylserylleucylphenylalanylalanylglutamin ylleucyllysylglutamylarginyllysylglutam ylglycylalanylphenylalanylvalylprolylph enylalanylvalylthreonylleucylglycylaspa rtylprolylglycylisoleucylglutamylglutam inylserylleucyllysylisoleucylaspartylth reonylleucylisoleucylglutamylalanylglyc ylalanylaspartylalanylleucylglutamylleu cylglycylisoleucylprolylphenylalanylser ylaspartylprolylleucylalanylaspartylgly cylprolylthreonylisoleucylglutaminylasp fraginylalanylthreonylleucylarginylalan ylphenylalanylalanylalanylglycylvalylth reonylprolylalanylglutaminylcysteinylph enylalanylglutamylmethionylleucylalanyl leucylisoleucylarginylglutaminyllysylhi stidylprolylthreonylisoleucylprolylisol eucylglycylleucylleucylmethionyltyrosyl alanylasparaginylleucylvalylphenylalany lasparaginyllysylglycylisoleucylasparty lglutamylphenylalanyltyrosylalanylgluta minylcysteinylglutamyllysylvalylglycylv alylaspartylserylvalylleucylvalylalanyl aspartylvalylprolylvalylglutaminylgluta mylserylalanylprolylphenylalanylarginyl glutaminylalanylalanylleucylarginylhist idylasparaginylvalylalanylprolylisoleuc ylphenylalanylisoleucylcysteinylprolylp rolylaspartylalanylaspartylaspartylaspa rtylleucylleucylarginylglutaminylisoleu cylalanylseryltyrosylglycylarginylglycy ltyrosylthreonyltyrosylleucylleucylsery larginylalanylglycylvalylthreonylglycyl alanylglutamylasparaginylarginylalanyla lanylleucylprolylleucylasparaginylhisti dylleucylvalylalanyllysylleucyllysylglu tamyltyrosylasparaginylalanylalanylprol ylprolylleucylglutaminylglycylphenylala nylglycylisoleucylserylalanylprolylaspa rtylglutaminylvalyllysylalanylalanyliso leucylaspartylalanylglycylalanylalanylg lycylalanylisoleucylserylglycylserylala nylisoleucylvalyllysylisoleucylisoleucy lglutamylglutaminylhistidylasparaginyli soleucylglutamylprolylglutamyllysylmeth ionylleucylalanylalanylleucyllysylvalyl phenylalanylvalylglutaminylprolylmethio nyllysylalanylalanylthreonylarginylserine.

THIS is the longest fucking word ever.

(sorry about all the spaces, apparently it's too big to post as one word :p )

aka: the stuff in turkey that makes you tired

tryptophan synthetase A protein by Kitteh April 28, 2005