Amino Acids Flashcards
(6 cards)
How many are there and where do they come from?
10 produced in the body and 10 comes from food
What groups do amino acids have?
-COOH and -NH2
What do they do?
Building blocks for proteins which make up enzymes which controls the body chemistry
How do amino acids join together?
Condensation reaction with a peptide bond forming a dipeptide
What’s special about the acidity of amino acids?
Contains both a -NH2 and a -COOH group so can lose a proton in alkaline solution and gain a proton in acidic solution.
What happens in a neutral solution of amino acids?
They exist with both positive and negative ions, this is a zwitterion (hybrid).
Can exist as s zwitterion in the solid state explaining their relatively high melting point and solubility in water and insolubility in organic solvents.
