homocysteine

ho·mo·cys·te·ine

noun \ˌhō-mō-ˈsis-tə-ˌēn, ˌhäm-ō-\

Definition of HOMOCYSTEINE

: an amino acid C₄H₉NO₂S that is produced in animal metabolism by the demethylation of methionine and forms a complex with serine that breaks up to produce cysteine and homoserine and that appears to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease when occurring at high levels in the blood