Tyrosine Unit Converter

Tyrosine is a conditionally essential amino acid that serves as a building block for proteins and a precursor to several critical molecules in the body.

It is used to produce the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine (adrenaline), as well as thyroid hormones and the pigment melanin. The body can synthesize tyrosine from the essential amino acid phenylalanine, but it becomes essential when phenylalanine intake or metabolism is impaired.

Measuring plasma tyrosine levels helps evaluate amino acid metabolism, nutritional status, and can identify genetic disorders of tyrosine breakdown.

Tyrosine is produced primarily in the liver by the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase, which converts the essential amino acid phenylalanine into tyrosine. It is also obtained directly from dietary protein sources such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and legumes.