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Properties of Amino Acids

  • Page ID
    14646
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    • 1. Backgrounds of Amino Acids
      This page explains what amino acids are, concentrating on the 2-amino acids that are biologically important. It looks in some detail at their simple physical properties such as solubility and melting points.
    • Charged Nature of Amino Acids
      Proteins are probably the most important class of biochemical molecules, although of course lipids and carbohydrates are also essential for life. Proteins are the basis for the major structural components of animal and human tissue. Proteins are natural polymer molecules consisting of amino acid units. The number of amino acids in proteins may range from two to several thousand.
    • Stereochemistry of Amino Acids
      With the exception of glycine, all the 19 other common amino acids have a uniquely different functional group on the central tetrahedral alpha carbon.
    • Structure of Amino Acids
      Amino acid monomers are chemically linked to form linear polymers known as proteins.

    Thumbnail: 3D model of L-tryptophan. (Public Domain; Benjah-bmm27).


    Properties of Amino Acids is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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