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| Amino acid |
| 11.29.06 (8:59 pm) [edit] |
| In chemistry, an amino acid is any molecule that contains both amine and carboxyl functional groups. In biochemistry, this shorter and more general term is frequently used to refer to alpha amino acids: those amino acids in which the amino and carboxylate functionalities are attached to the same carbon, the so-called α–carbon. There are twenty "standard" amino acids used by cells in protein biosynthesis that are specified by the general genetic code. A list of standard amino acids describes their chemical structures and basic physical and chemical properties. Each protein has its own unique amino acid sequence that is known as its primary structure. Just as the letters of the alphabet can be combined in different ways to form an almost endless variety of words, amino acids can be linked together in varying sequences to form a huge variety of proteins. The unique shape of each protein determines its function in the body. |