Amino Acid Structure

Amino Acid Structure

The first thing you might be asking is what is an amino acid? There are over twenty, and each one of them is a little different, but with one thing in common.

[Copy:Basic Structure of an Amino Acid]

There is a two carbon bond. One carbon is a part of a group called the CARBOXYL GROUP. A carboxyl group is made up of one carbon, two oxygens and one hydrogen atom. The carboxyl group is acidic. The second carbon is a part of the AMINO GROUP. Amino means there is an NH₂ group bonded to the Carbon atom. In the image you see a "+" and a "-". Those are ther because in Amino Acids, one Hydrogen atom moves to the other end of the molecule. An extra "H" gives you a positive charge.

MAKING CHAINS

[Image: Simple Amino Acid Chain]

Even though scientists have discovered over 50 amino acids, only 20 are used to make something called proteins. Thousands of combinations of those twenty are used to make all of the proteins in your body. Amino acids bond together to make long chains. It is these chains which are PROTEINS.

SOMETHING CALLED SIDE GROUPS
It is the SIDE GROUPS which make each amino acid different from the others. Of the 20 used to make proteins, there are three groups. The three are IONIC, POLAR and NON-POLAR. These names refer to the way the side groups (sometimes called "R" groups) interact with the environment. Polar amino acids have a tendency to adjust themselves in a certain direction. Non-polar amino acids don't really care what's going on around them. You already know about ions and things that are ionic, so those are easy to understand.