1.02 – Amino Acid Metabolism

Amino acids are fundamental molecules of life. Amino acids contain an amine group, a carboxylic acid group, and a side chain (R) that varies between different amino acids. Amino acids contain the key elements of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. In an alpha amino acid, the amino group is attached to the carbon atom immediately adjacent to the carboxylate group. The various alpha amino acids differ according to R group, which is attached to their alpha carbon and these can vary in size from just one hydrogen atom as in glycine to large heterocyclic groups such as in tryptophan. Amino acids are important as building blocks of proteins that are linear chains of amino acids. Every protein is chemically defined by the order of amino acid residues. Amino acids are also important in many other biological molecules (e.g., they play vital roles in coenzymes, neurotransmitters, or hormones). They are also used in industry where applications include the production of drugs, chiral catalysts, and biodegradable plastics.