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Ch.18 Amino Acids and Proteins
McMurry - Fundamentals of GOB 8th Edition
McMurry8th EditionFundamentals of GOBISBN: 9780134015187Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 18, Problem 3

Consult Table 18.3 and draw alanine. Label the functional groups and give the three-letter abbreviation and the one-letter abbreviation. What group does the side chain fall into?

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Refer to Table 18.3 in your textbook or resource to locate the structure of alanine. Alanine is one of the 20 standard amino acids, and its structure includes a central carbon atom (α-carbon) bonded to an amino group (-NH₂), a carboxyl group (-COOH), a hydrogen atom, and a side chain specific to alanine.
Step 2: Draw the structure of alanine. Start with the α-carbon at the center. Attach the amino group (-NH₂) to the left, the carboxyl group (-COOH) to the right, a hydrogen atom above, and the side chain (a methyl group, -CH₃) below.
Step 3: Label the functional groups in the structure. The amino group (-NH₂) is a basic functional group, and the carboxyl group (-COOH) is an acidic functional group. The side chain (-CH₃) is a nonpolar alkyl group.
Step 4: Provide the three-letter and one-letter abbreviations for alanine. The three-letter abbreviation is 'Ala,' and the one-letter abbreviation is 'A.'
Step 5: Classify the side chain of alanine. The side chain (-CH₃) is a nonpolar, hydrophobic group, which places alanine in the category of nonpolar amino acids.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins. Each amino acid consists of a central carbon atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain (R group). The side chain determines the unique characteristics of each amino acid, influencing protein structure and function.
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Functional Groups

Functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. In the context of amino acids, the amino group (-NH2) and carboxyl group (-COOH) are key functional groups, while the side chain can contain various functional groups that define the properties of the amino acid.
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Abbreviations of Amino Acids

Amino acids are often represented by three-letter and one-letter abbreviations for convenience in scientific communication. For alanine, the three-letter abbreviation is 'Ala' and the one-letter abbreviation is 'A'. These abbreviations are widely used in biochemistry and molecular biology to simplify the representation of protein sequences.
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