by 
unknown
ANSWERS: 1
-
Amino acids are the components of proteins. Technically an amino acid refers to a molecule with both amine and corboxyl groups. I'm guessing however, you are more interested in what are termed alpha amino acids, where both groups attach to a single carbon atom. Here goes my artwork... H H | N - C - C = O / | H R OH (Sorry but my backslash doesn't show up. The Hs are connected to the N and the OH is connected to the second C). The C on the left is the alpha carbon atom, thorugh which the rest of the molecule attaches. The NH2 group on the left is the amine group and the C with two oxygen and one hydrogen atom attached on the right is the carboxyl group. One oxyegn attaches with a double bond. R stands for a variable group that changes depending on which of the twenty amino acids you are talking about. In Glycine, the simplest, R is simply a hydrogen atom. In serine it is CH2OH.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC