Of or relating to aspartic acid, an amino acid found in proteins and important for many biochemical processes.
From 'aspartate' (the ionized form of aspartic acid) + '-ic' (suffix forming adjectives). Aspartic acid was discovered in asparagus and named accordingly in the early 1800s.
Aspartic acid is one of the few amino acids that appears in both proteins and metabolic pathways—it's like a molecular multi-tool that your cells use for both structural and energy work. It's also the part of aspartame that gives Diet Coke its taste.
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