arginine (Arg) /är″jinin/ , an amino acid formed during the urea cycle by the transfer of a nitrogen atom from aspartate to citrulline. It can also be prepared synthetically. Certain compounds made from arginine, especially arginine glutamate and arginine hydrochloride, are used intravenously in the management of conditions in which there is an excess of ammonia in the blood caused by liver dysfunction. See also urea cycle.
