HealthAugust 15, 2026
ornithine
OR-nih-theen
Definition
An amino acid that is not used to build proteins, but plays a crucial role in the urea cycle, where the body processes nitrogenous waste.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek word 'ornithos,' meaning bird, because it was first isolated from bird droppings in the early 20th century.
In the news
In the article, ornithine refers to 'ornithine deficiency,' a metabolic genetic disorder that the Ministry of Health's screening initiative aims to detect early in newborns.
'100M Healthy Lives' Initiative: 792K newborns screened for genetic diseases
Read the full article ↗Egypt Today