Definition

A type of amino acid that is used in medicine to treat certain conditions like cystinuria, rheumatoid arthritis, and metal poisoning.

Example

The doctor prescribed penicillamine to help manage the patient's condition.

Conversation

Have you heard about penicillamine and its uses?

Yeah, I think it can help with certain medical conditions, right?

Exactly! It’s often used for treating cystinuria among other things.

That’s interesting! I didn’t know it had so many applications.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Penicillamine is derived from 'penicillin' (from the Latin 'penicillium', meaning a small tail or brush, referring to the mold from which penicillin is derived) and '-amine' (a suffix used in organic chemistry to denote amines, which are compounds derived from ammonia). The word refers to a compound related to penicillin that contains an amine group.

Memory Tip

Think of 'penicillin' as a small brush ('penicillium') and remember that 'penicillamine' is a compound related to it that includes an amine group.

Visually Confused Words