Amino acids Notes

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Amino Acid 

Amino acid are molecules that combines to form proteins. Amino acids and proteins are building blocks of life. 

Amino acid contains the basic amino acids (-NH2), carboxyl group (-cooH) , hydrogen atom and r group (distinctive side chain)all bonded to a carbon atom, namely the Alpha carbon. 

All amino acids , except proline, have the same general structure. 

More than 300 amino acids are present in the cell, however, only 22 amino acids participates in the protein synthesis ribosomically. 

GENERAL PROPERTIES OF AMINO ACIDS:- 

They have a very high melting and boiling points. 

Amino acids are white crystalline solid substances. 

In tastes, few amino acids are sweet , tasteless and bitter. 

Most of the amino acids are soluble in water are insoluble in organic solvents. 

BASED ON NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS ;-

Essential Amino acids – 

amino acid that cannot be synthesized by the human body and need to be taken in the diet are called essential amino acids. 

Ex ;-  Methionine , arginine , threonine , trpthophan , valine , isoleucine , leucine, lysine and histidine.

 

Non – essential amino acids –

 amino acids that can be synthesized by the human body and their deficiency does not affect growth and development of the body. 

Ex- Glutamine, cysteine, alanine, glutamic acid, tyrosine. 

ZWITTER IONS 

A zwitterions is a functional group molecules which at least one has a positive electrical charge and one a negative electrical charge. 

The best example is amino acids. 

They have a group of amines (basic) and a group of carboxylic (acidic). 

 D AND L FORM 

All amino acids except glycine are optically active i.e, they can rotate the plane of polarized light. 

An optically active compound can rotate the plane of polarized light either clockwise (to the right) or counterclockwise (to the left). 

Optically compound that can rotate the plane of polarized light clockwise are said to be dextrorotatory which is denoted by + or d sign. 

Optically active compound that can rotate the plane of polarized light counterclockwise are said to be levorotatory by –or (l) sign. 

PEPTIDE BOND AND OLIGOPEPTIDE BOND 

The bond so formed between the carboxyl and the amino groups, after elimination of a water molecules called as a peptide bond and the compound formed is a pepetide. 

The peptide formed between two amino acids is a dipeptide, three amino acids is a tripeptide , few amino acids are an (12-22) oligopeptide and many amino acids is a polypetide. 

MALFORMIN 

Malformin , a metabolic product of Aspergillus niger,  induces curvatures on bean plants and on corn roots. 

It was discovered and isolated by Roy W. Curtis , who also demonstrated that malformin consisit of a family of cyclic peptides. 

GLUTATHIONE (GSH) 

Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant in plants, animals, fungi and some bacteria and archaea. 

Glutathione is capable of preventing damage to important cellular components caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals, peroxides , lipid peroxides, and heavy metals. 

Glutathione levels in the body may be reduced by a number of factors, including poor nutrition, environmentals toxins and stress.