Amino acids

Question 1

What is the general structure?

Answer 1

=carbon
= hydrogen
= Nh2
= COOH
= r group- this is different for every amino acid and there are 20 variations]

Question 2

What kind of isomerism can amino acids demonstrate?

Answer 2

= optical isomerism
= this is a chiral carbon, tetrahedral structure, formed mirror images of eachother
= rotate plane polarized light- equal amounts oppposite directions, enatoimers

Question 3

What are basic or acidic amino acids?

Answer 3

= extra COOH acid or amine group as r group

Question 4

What are zwitterions?

Answer 4

= carbon
= hydrogen
= r group
= Nh3+ ion
= Co2- ion COO-
= both positive and negative ions
=

Question 5

What is glycine?

Answer 5

= an amino acid where the r group is a hydrogen, this does not form optical isomerism

Question 6

What happens when an alcohol reacts with an amino acid?

Answer 6

= this can react with the COOH acid side