Amino acids are the basic substances that constitute proteins, and are organic compounds in which the hydrogen atoms on the carbon atoms of carboxylic acids are replaced by amino groups.

The digestion and absorption of proteins in the body are accomplished through amino acids

The discovery of amino acids began in France in 1806, when chemists Louis Nicolas Vauquelin and Pierre Jean Robiquet separated a compound from asparagus (later Known as asparagine), the first amino acid was discovered.