Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is not utilized for protein synthesis, but is mainly found free in most tissues, especially throughout the heart and nervous system. Taurine is important in several metabolic processes of the body, including stabilizing cell membranes in electrically active tissues, such as the brain and heart. It functions in tissues by stabilizing cell membranes and aiding the transport of potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium in and out of cells. Taurine helps to generate and regulate nerve impulses and supports the maintenance of normal fluid balance; it is also used by the body in visual pathways, as well as in the brain and nervous system, where it works together with glycine and GABA as a neurotransmitter.