Structure of Amino Acids

How many different types of amino acids are there?

20

What is a peptide bond?

A covalent bond linking amino acids together

What are the properties of R-groups?

Can be polar/hydrophilic, nonpolar/hydrophobic, negatively charged/acid, positively charged/ base

What is attached to alpha carbon?

Carboxyl functional group on the right, amino group on the left, hydrogen on top of alpha carbon, and R-group below alpha carbon.

Two, three, and many amino acids linked together is called ...

dipeptide, tripeptide, polypeptide

How does dehydration synthesis occur when linking amino acids together?

A water molecule is removed by releasing an OH from carboxyl group of one amino acid and hydrogen from the amino group of another amino acid. The carbon atom of the carboxyl group has a free bond to bond to nitrogen of the other amino group that now also has a free bond.

What is in the center of all twenty amino acids?

Alpha carbon

What do we call monomers of a protein?

Amino acids

What process is used to link amino acids together?

Dehydration synthesis/ condensation reaction

What is the importance of R-groups?

Determine type of amino acid and its properties.

Where does the great diversity of life come from if there are only 20 amino acids?

Different arrangements of twenty amino acids can create huge diversity of proteins.

What is a polymer?

Large molecule made by linking similar or identical smaller molecules together.

Are there only a few types of proteins in living things?

No, there are tens of thousands of different proteins in living things.

Amino acids link together to form what?

Proteins

What is an R-group?

The atoms that attach to alpha carbon below and are different in each of the 20 amino acids, side chain or variable group.

What is a monomer?

The smaller unit or molecule that are being linked to form a polymer.