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amino acid
chemical compound
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What is an amino acid?
What are the 20 amino acid building blocks of proteins?
What is the difference between standard and nonstandard amino acids?
What are some industrial uses of amino acids?
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. The term amino acid is short for α-amino [alpha-amino] carboxylic acid. Each molecule contains a central carbon (C) atom, called the α-carbon, to which both an amino and a carboxyl group are attached. The remaining two bonds of the α-carbon atom are generally satisfied by a hydrogen (H) atom and the R group. The formula of a general amino acid is: The amino ...(100 of 3218 words)