Question

Give one example of neutral amino acid.why is it neutral in nature

Answer 1

Ans.

Amino acids are organic compounds made up of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen. Each amino acid consists a carbon atom, by which a hydroxyl group, a hydrogen atom, an amino group, and a carboxyl group is attached.

Alanine is an example of neutral amino acid. An amino acid carries an anion (carboxyl group) and a cation (amino group), so, an amino acid is neutral (with no charge), unless there is a extra base or an acid in its side chain. Thus, amino acids with neutral side chains are known as neutral amino acids.

Answer 2

There are many neutral amino acids such as:

Glycine

Alanine

Valine

Leucine

Isoleucine

Proline

Phenylalanine and many more.

Why is it neutral in nature.

All these amino acid do not contain any additional acidic or basic groups in their structure. They only contain one each of carboxylic acid and amine group i.e. they have neutral side chains.

Their side chains respectively are:

Glycine -H

Alanine -CH3

Valine -CH(CH3)2

Leucine -CH2-CH(CH3)2

Isoleucine -CH(CH3)CH2CH3

Proline NH-CH-COOH

              |      |                    (Complete structure)

                \/

Phenylalanine -CH2-Ph