chapter 4: amino acids and buffers Flashcards
what form do alpha amino acids with a charged groups of opposite polarity take at physiological pH?
zwitterionic form.
pK1 refers to what
alpha-carboxylic acid group
pK2 refers to what?
alpha-amino group
pKR refers to what
side groups with acid-base properties
alpha carboxylic acid groups have pK around where? which means what?
2.2 so above pH 3.5 these groups almost entirely in carboxylate form
The alpha amino groups have pK around where? Which means what?
9.4 and therefore almost entirely in ammonium form below pH of 8.0
why are the 20 standard amino acids known as alpha amino acids?
because all except proline have a primary amino acid group and carboxylic acid group substituent on the same carbon atom
proline has what type of amino group?
cyclic secondary amino acid
In the physiological pH range, both the carboxylic acid and the amino groups of alpha amino acids are what? what does this mean?
completely ionized in physiological pH; therefore can act as an acid or base thus they are amphotric.
what does it mean to be amphoteric?
substances that can act as a base or acid
amphoteric substances are referred to as what?
ampholytes
Amino acids like ionic compounds are more soluble in what than what?
more soluble in polar solvents than nonpolar solvents
most amino acids have melting points of _____ while their nonionic derivatives usually have a melting point of _____.
300 degrees C and nonionic derivatives a melting point of 100 degrees C
how do alpha amino acids polymerize?
through the elimination of a water molecule. The resulting CO-NH linkage known a peptide bond.
polymers composed of two amino acids are what?
dipeptides
polymers composed of three amino acids are?
tripeptides
polymers composed of a few (3-10) amino acids are?
oligopeptides
polymers composed of any amino acids (>10) are?
polypeptides
Polypeptides are linear polymers liked how?
To neighbors in head-to-tail fashion rather than forming branched chains
nucleic acids that encode the amino acids sequences of polypeptides are what?
linear polymers
find number of protein molecules that can exist for a dipeptide? explain why
20^2 = 400 distinct dipeptides; This is because there is 20 different choices for the first amino acid and 20 choices for the second amino acids
find the number of protein molecules that can exist for a tripeptide
20^3 = 8000 different tripeptides; there are 20 possibilities for each of the 400 choices of dipeptides so (400 20 or 2020*20)
why is classifying amino acids by their side chains (R groups) according to their charge an polarity useful?
Proteins fold to native conformation largely in response to tendency to remove their hydrophobic side chains from contact with water and to solvate their hydrophilic side chains
Glycine has what?
smallest possible side chain, a H; thus nonpolar
Alanine, valine, Leucine, and isoleucine have what?
aliphatic hydrocarbon side chain