text: Transition metal amino acid complexes are a large family of coordination complexes containing the conjugate bases of the amino acids, the 2-aminocarboxylates.  Amino acids are prevalent in nature, and all of them function as ligands toward the transition metals.   Not included in this article are complexes of the amides (including peptide) and ester derivatives of amino acids. Also excluded are the polyamino acids including the chelating agents EDTA and NTA.