Amino Acids and Polypeptides Flashcards
Amino acids general structure contains what groups
- amino group (NH2)
- caroboxyl group (COOH)
- variable R group
(These are each attached to a carbon, and the C’s 4th bond is to a H [look at an image])
What elements are found in the structures of all amino acids
- carbon
- hydrogen
- nitrogen
- oxygen
What do the properties of an amino acid depend on
The r group it has
How many natural amino acids are there
20
What 3 groups can we classify amino acids into
- essential (can’t be made by body, need to get from food)
- non-essential (can be produced by the body)
- conditional (essential in circumstances e.g illness or pregnancy)
What is a C-N bond called
A peptide bond
What groups react when amino acids join
The amino and carboxylic acid groups
What reaction forms dipeptides
Condensation reactions
What is an oligopeptide
A short chain of amino acids linked together
What is a polypeptide
A long chain of amino acids linked together
3 amino acids ->
tripeptide + water
What’s a peptide bond
Bond between the carboxylic group of one amino acid and the amino group of another
O H
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C - N
What breaks a peptide bond
A hydrolysis reaction (water)
