Amino Acids Continued Flashcards
How many non polar amino acids are there?
9
How do you know an amino acid is non polar?
2
The R group is mostly made of hydrocarbons
May also feature a sulphur atom (methionine)
How many polar amino acids are there?
6
How do you know an amino acid is polar?
The R group contains an OH group, NH2 group or a HS group
How many acidic amino acids are there?
2
Name the two acidic amino acids.
Aspartic acid
Glutamic acid
How do you know if an amino acid is an acidic?
They will contain a COOH group
How do carboxyl groups of acidic amino acids act?
They act as nucleophiles
Acidic amino acids act as nucleophiles, what does this mean?
They can donate an electron pair to form a chemical bond
How many basic amino acids are there?
Three
How do you know if an amino acid is basic?
Positive charge on an NH3 + group
Describe an amino acid at a neutral pH
3
Carboxyl group is negatively charged
Amino group is positively charged
Zwitterion - no net charge
What is a zwitterion?
A molecule that contains an equal number of positively and negatively charged functional groups
What is ionisation?
The process where a molecule becomes positively or negatively charged by gaining/losing electrons
What do acids do?
They are proton donors
