the process of transfering an amino group from one compound to another

the process by which an amino group from one amino acid is transferred to a carbon compound to form a new amino acid.

Transamination (or aminotransfer) is the reaction between an amino acid and an alpha-keto acid. The amino group is transferred from the former to the latter; this results in the amino acid being converted to the corresponding α-keto acid, while the reactant α-keto acid is converted to the corresponding amino acid (if the amino group is removed from an amino acid, an α-keto acid is left behind).