1-Explain the structure of amino

acids with different types of side

chain
(non-polar,polar, acidic, basic,
aromatic, aliphatic)

2- Describe with examples the

following classes of amino acids,
their properties and their
biomedical importance.
i. Glucogenic and ketogenic amino
acids.
ii. Non-protein amino acids.
iii. Essential and non-essential amino
acids

Amino acids are compounds that

contain an NH2 group and a CO2H
group

Proteins can be broken down into

smaller units by hydrolysis, these
small units , monomers of proteins
are called as amino acids

More than 300 amino acids occur

naturally, but 20 of them are
especially important.
These 20 amino acids are the
building blocks of proteins. All are amino acids.
They differ in respect to the group
attached to the carbon.

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

R
R

The properties of the amino acid

vary as the structure of R varies.

Figure 6.2b

Form when the acid group (COOH)

of one amino acid joins with the
amine group (NH2) of a second
amino acid

Formed through condensation

Broken through hydrolysis

Figure

Each amino acid is assigned a 3 letter

or 1 letter symbol

Glycine
(Gly or G)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

Glycine is the simplest amino acid.

It is the only one in that is achiral.

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH3
Alanine
(Ala or A)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH(CH3)2
Valine
(Val or V)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH2CH(CH3)2
Leucine
(Leu or L)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH3CHCH2CH3
Isoleucine
(Ile or I)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH3SCH2CH2
Methionine
(Met or M)

+
H2N

H
C

O
C
CH2

H2C
C
H2

Proline
(Pro or P)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH2

Phenylalanine
(Phe or F)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH2
Tryptophan
N
H

(Trp or W)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

H2NCCH2
O
Asparagine
(Asn or N)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

H2NCCH2CH2
O
Glutamine
(Gln or Q)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH2OH
Serine
(Ser or S)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH3CHOH
Threonine
(Thr or T)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

OCCH2
O
Aspartic Acid
(Asp or D)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

OCCH2CH2
O
Glutamic Acid
(Glu or E)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH2
Tyrosine
(Tyr or Y)
OH

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH2SH
Cysteine
(Cys or C)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

+
CH2CH2CH2CH2NH3
Lysine
(Lys or K)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH2CH2CH2NHCNH2
+ NH2
Arginine
(Arg or R)

+
H3N

H
C

O
C

CH2
NH
Histidine
(His or H)

PVT TIM HALL