Amino acid
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Amino acids are organic compounds containing amine (-NH2) and carboxyl (-COOH) functional groups, along with a side chain (R group) specific to each amino acid.
Contents
General properties
Amino acids are chemical compounds containing mainly carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N). Other elements, such as sulfur (S) are encountered in some amino acids, as well other organic groups, such as aromatic rings.
Most amino acids are chiral, though some, like glycine or aminomalonic acid are not.
Categories
- Monocarboxylic amino acids: glycine, serine, etc.
- Polycarboxylic amino acids: aminomalonic acid, glutamic acid, etc.
- Polyaminic amino acids: arginine, ornithine, etc.
Sources
Amino acids can be obtained from various biological cultures and tissues, though it's a lot cheaper to just buy the desired amino acid from suppliers.
