BRAINCAKEAcid-Base Properties of Amino Acids
Amino acids are amphoteric: because they contain both an acidic group (-COOH) and a basic group (-NH2), they react with both acids and bases.
In acidic solution (low pH) there are many H+ ions. The -COO− group of the zwitterion accepts H+ and becomes -COOH, while the amine stays protonated as -NH3+. The amino acid exists as a positive ion:
+H3N-CHR-COO− + H+ → +H3N-CHR-COOH
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More in Amino Acids, Proteins and DNA
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All 15 lessons in Amino Acids, Proteins and DNA · All AQA A-level Chemistry topics