Proteins are polymers of amino acids, with each amino acid residue join
its neighbor by a specific type of covalent bond.
All 20 of the common amino acids are -amino acids. They have a carbox
group and an amino group bonded to the same carbon atom (the α carb
Differ from each other in their side chains, or R groups, which vary in
structure, size, and electric charge, and which influence the solubility of
amino acids in water.
, The α-carbon atom is a c
center
Since they are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other, the two
called enantiomers
, All the amino acid residues in proteins are L stereoisomers.
D-Amino acid residues have been found only in a few generally small
peptides, including some peptides of bacterial cell walls and certain pep
antibiotics.
Cells are able to specifically synthesize the L isomers of amino acids be
the active sites of enzymes are asymmetric, causing the reactions
catalyze to be stereospecific.
its neighbor by a specific type of covalent bond.
All 20 of the common amino acids are -amino acids. They have a carbox
group and an amino group bonded to the same carbon atom (the α carb
Differ from each other in their side chains, or R groups, which vary in
structure, size, and electric charge, and which influence the solubility of
amino acids in water.
, The α-carbon atom is a c
center
Since they are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other, the two
called enantiomers
, All the amino acid residues in proteins are L stereoisomers.
D-Amino acid residues have been found only in a few generally small
peptides, including some peptides of bacterial cell walls and certain pep
antibiotics.
Cells are able to specifically synthesize the L isomers of amino acids be
the active sites of enzymes are asymmetric, causing the reactions
catalyze to be stereospecific.
