What is Tryptophan?

About Tryptophan:

• It is an amino acid needed for normal growth in infants and for the production and maintenance of the body's proteins, muscles, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. 
• It is an essential amino acid. This means your body cannot produce it, so you must get it from your diet.
• Functions:
  • The body uses tryptophan to help make melatonin and serotonin.
  • Melatonin helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, and serotonin is thought to help regulate appetite, sleep, mood, and pain.
  • The liver can also use tryptophan to produce niacin (vitamin B3), which is needed for energy metabolism and DNA production.
  • Tryptophan has been used in alternative medicine as a possibly effective aid in treating symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder syndrome (such as mood swings and irritability), and to help people quit smoking.
• Food Sources: Tryptophan can be found in
  • Cheese
  • Chicken
  • Egg whites
  • Fish
  • Milk
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Peanuts
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Soy beans
  • Turkey

What is IC 348?

• It is a 2-million-year-old open star cluster surrounded by a reflection nebula of about 15 light-years across.
• It is located 1028 light-years away from earth in the northern constellation of Perseus, while it is receding from earth at 14km per second.
• It is embedded in the star-forming region called the Perseus molecular cloud.