Serine (Ser)

Serine is an organic compound with the formula HO₂CCH(NH₂)CH₂OH.It is one of the naturally occurring proteinogenic amino acids. Only the L-stereoisomer appears naturally in proteins. It is not essential to the human diet, since it is synthesized in the body from other metabolites, including glycine. Serine was first obtained from silk protein, a particularly rich source, in 1865. Its name is derived from the Latin for silk, sericum. Serine's structure was established in 1902. By virtue of the hydroxyl group, serine is classified as a polar amino acid. Serine is important in metabolism in that it participates in the biosynthesis of purines and pyrimidines. It is the precursor to several amino acids including glycine and cysteine, and tryptophan in bacteria. It is also the precursor to numerous of other metabolites, including sphingolipids and folate, which is the principal donor of one-carbon fragments in biosynthesis.