Question

Define, ∝-amino acids.

Answer 1

Amino acid, any of a group of organic molecules that consist of a basic amino group (−NH2), an acidic carboxyl group (−COOH), and an organic R group (or side chain) that is unique to each amino acid.

Answer 2

Answer:

Amino acids are monomer units of proteins and generally known as ‘building blocks’ of proteins. Although about 300 amino acids exist in nature, only 20 amino acids commonly constitute the human and other mammalian proteins. These amino acids are known as ‘standard amino acids’ or ‘proteinogenic amino acid’. All the 20 standard amino acids present in mammalian proteins are ∝-amino acids (except proline).

Alpha amino acids are the bifunctional compounds in which carboxyl and amino functional groups are present.

It is obtained by replacing hydrogen atom of alpha carbon of carboxylic acids by amino group.