amino acids

     

In chemistry, an amino aci is a molecule containing both amine and carboxyl functional groups. In biochemistry, this term refers to alpha-amino acids with the general formula H2NCHRCOOH, where R is an organic substituent. In the alpha amino acids, the amino and carboxylate groups are attached to the same carbon, which is called the α–carbon. The various alpha amino acids differ in which side chain (R group) is attached to their alpha carbon. They can vary in size from just a hydrogen atom in glycine through a methyl group in alanine to a large heterocyclic group in tryptophan.

Trivia about amino acids

  • Aspartic & glutamic are 2 of these acids, the building blocks of proteins
  • Stanley Miller showed possible origins of life by electrifying a gas-&-water mix to get these acids found in proteins
  • The 8 essential types of these acids cannot be produced by the human body & must be obtained from food
  • Quinoa, like other non-cereal grains, is rich in lysine, one of these protein components
  • Elso Barghoorn found the remains of these acids in 3-billion-year-old rocks, exhibiting proof of very early life
  • Foods that offer a "complete" protein contain all 9 essential ones of these
  • Types of these, such as methionine & leucine, link up to form proteins
  • To build tissue, the body needs 20 different ones of these "protein building blocks", both "essential" & "nonessential"

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