Amino acids Flashcards
What is an amino acid by definition?
A bifunctional organic compound that possesses a carboxyl and an amino group
What are alpha amino acids
This is when both the carboxyl and the amino group are attached to the same central carbon atom.
What is the acid equation?
Acid 1 + Base 1 –> Conjugate base of acid 1 + conjugate base of acid 2
The higher the Ka…
The stronger the acid
The lower the pKa…
The stronger the acid
The lower the Ka…
The weaker the acid
The higher the pKa…
The weaker the acid
What does pKa tell you?
At what pH the molecule is 50% deprotonated.
What do lone pairs allow in amino groups?
For the compounds to act as either a nucleophile or a base.
What are all alpha amino acids and what is the exception?
All alpha amino acids are chiral apart from glycine.
Alpha amino acids can exist as one of two enantiomers which are mirror images of each other.
What amino acids have non-polar side chains (alkyl)?
Alanine, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine.
What amino acids have non-polar side chains but aren’t alkyl?
Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, and Tyrosine.
What amino acids have charged side chains?
Aspartic acid, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Histidine, and Lysine.
What amino acids have special cases?
Glycine, Proline and Cysteine.
How do you calculate the isoelectric point (pI) for neutral amino acids?
It is the average of the two pKa values.
