Amino Acids Flashcards
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.
