Biochemistry Flashcards
(198 cards)
Amino acids
molecules that contain 2 functional groups, amino group (-NH2) and carboxyl group (COOH), and another grou pcalled a side chain or R group specific to each amino acid
for carboxylic acids, the alpha carbon is the carbon ____ to the carboxyl carbon
adjacent
all aminoacids are chiral at the alpha carbon except for….
…glycine, which has 2 hydrogens
L amino acids
the only kind of amino acid found in eukaryotes, and are drawn with the amino group on the left in a fischer projection
nonpolar, nonaromatic side chain amino acids (7)
glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine, methionine, and proline
methionine is unique because
it contains a sulfer with a methyl group attached and is nonpolar relatively
proline is unique because
it forms a cyclic amino acid, the amino nitrogen becomes part of the side chain forming a 5 membered ring
aromatic side chain amino acids (3)
tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine
polar non-aromatic side chain amino acids (5)
serine, threonine, asparagine, glutamine, cysteine
negatively charged acidic side chain amino acids (2)
aspartate and glutamate (depronated form of aspartic acid and glutamic acid respectively)
positively charged (basic) side chain amino acids (3)
lysine, arginine, and histidine
why can histidine have a positive charge?
pKa of side chain relatively close to 7.4, about 6, so at physiologic pH one nitrogen atom is protonated and the other isn’t, inder more acidic conditions a 2nd nitrogen atom can become protonated giving a positive charge
hydrophobic amino acids
alanine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, and phenylalanine
hydrophilic amino acids
histidine, arginine, and lysine, plus neg charged glutamate and asparate
charged amino acids tend to be on the ___ of a protein, while hydrophobic tend to be on the ___
outside, inside
alanine abbreviation
Ala, A
arginine abbreviation
Arg, R
Asparagine abbreviation
Asn, N
Aspartic acid abbreviation
ASP, D
Cysteine abbreviation
Cys, C
Glutamic acid abbreviation
Glu, E
Glutamine abbreviation
Gln, Q
Glycine abbreviation
Gly, G
Histidine abbreviation
His, H