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Amino acid, any of a group of organic molecules that consist of a basic amino group, an acidic carboxyl group, and a unique organic side chain. The term amino acid is short for α-amino [alpha-amino] carboxylic acid. Examples of amino acids include glycine and threonine.
Structures of common amino acids. The amino acids present in proteins differ from each other in the structure of their side (R) chains. The simplest amino acid is glycine, in which R is a hydrogen atom. In a number of amino acids, R represents straight or branched carbon chains.
Amino acid - Building Blocks, Structure, Functions: One of the most useful manners by which to classify the standard (or common) amino acids is based on the polarity (that is, the distribution of electric charge) of the R group (e.g., side chain).
Amino acids via their various chemical functionalities (carboxyls, amino, and R groups) can undergo numerous chemical reactions. However, two reactions (peptide bond and cysteine oxidation) are of particular importance because of their effect on protein structure.
amino acid, Any of a class of organic compounds in which a carbon atom has bonds to an amino group (―NH 2), a carboxyl group (―COOH), a hydrogen atom (―H), and an organic side group (called ―R). They are therefore both carboxylic acids and amines. The physical and chemical properties unique to each result from the properties of the R ...
A protein molecule is very large compared with molecules of sugar or salt and consists of many amino acids joined together to form long chains, much as beads are arranged on a string. There are about 20 different amino acids that occur naturally in proteins.
genetic code, the sequence of nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid that determines the amino acid sequence of proteins. Though the linear sequence of nucleotides in DNA contains the information for protein sequences, proteins are not made directly from DNA.
An amino acid is an organic molecule that is made up of a basic amino group (−NH 2), an acidic carboxyl group (−COOH), and an organic R group (or side chain) that is unique to each amino acid. The term amino acid is short for α-amino [alpha-amino] carboxylic acid.
codon, in genetics, any of 64 different sequences of three adjacent nucleotides in DNA that either encodes information for the production of a specific amino acid or serves as a stop signal to terminate translation (protein synthesis). Codons are made up of any triplet combination of the four nitrogenous bases adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine ...
proline, an amino acid obtained by hydrolysis of proteins. Its molecule contains a secondary amino group (>NH) rather than the primary amino group (>NH 2) characteristic of most amino acids. Unlike other amino acids, proline, first isolated from casein (1901), is readily soluble in alcohol.