Amino acids

Amino acids

Amino acids are organic compounds made of
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and (in
some cases) sulfur bonded in characteristic formations.
the 20 amino acids required for manufacturing.




Of the proteins the human body needs, the body itself produces only 12, meaning that we have to meet our requirements for the other eight
through nutrition. This is just one example of the importance of amino acids in the functioning of life. Another cautionary illustration of amino acids’ power is the gamut of diseases (most notably, sickle cell anemia) that impair or claim the lives of those whose amino acids are out of sequence or malfunctioning.



The basic structure of an amino-acid molecule consists of a carbon atom bonded to an amino group (-NH2), a carboxyl group
(-COOH), a hydrogen atom, and a fourth group that differs from one amino acid to another and often is referred to as the -R group or the side chain.

The -R group, which can vary widely, is responsible for the differences in chemical properties.





A FEW ADDITIONAL POINTS.

The name amino acid, in fact, comes from the amino group and the acid group, which are the most chemically reactive parts of the molecule.
Each of the common amino acids has, in addition to its chemical name, a more familiar name and a three-letter abbreviation that frequently is
used to identify it. In the present context, we are not concerned with these abbreviations. Aminoacid molecules, which contain an amino group and a carboxyl group, do not behave like typical molecules.