BRAINCAKEAmino Acids
α-Amino acids contain an amine group, -NH2, and a carboxylic acid group, -COOH, both bonded to the same carbon atom (the α-carbon). Their general formula is RCH(NH2)COOH.
About twenty different α-amino acids are used to build proteins, and they differ only in the side chain, R. In the simplest, glycine, R = H. In alanine, R = CH3. Side chains can be non-polar, polar, acidic or basic, which gives proteins their range of properties.
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Key terms in this lesson
- chiral centre
- A carbon atom bonded to four different atoms or groups, giving rise to non-superimposable mirror-image forms.
More in Amines, Amides, Amino Acids and Proteins
- Preparation of Phenylamine
- Reactions of Amines with Acids and Acyl Chlorides
- Reactions of Amines with Copper(II) Ions
- Amides
- Condensation Polymers - Polyamides
- Zwitterions and Isoelectric Points
- Peptides and Proteins
- Chromatography of Amino Acids
All 12 lessons in Amines, Amides, Amino Acids and Proteins · All Edexcel A-level Chemistry topics