Amino acids are chiral which gives them what property?
They are optically active
Which amino acid is not optically active?
Glycine
Amino acids have an NH2 group and a COOH group. What property does this give them?
They can act as a base and an acid
HOOCCH2NH2 + HCl –> _______? Is glycine exhibiting acid or base properties?
HOOCCH2NH2 + HCl –> HOOCCH2NH3+Cl-
Base
HOOCCH2NH2 + NaOH –> ______? Is glycine exhibiting acidic or basic properties?
Na+OOCCH2NH2 + H2O
Acid
What is a zwitterion?
An ion with a positive charge and a negative charge which is overall neutral
How are peptides formed?
Can form via an amide or peptide bond between 2 amino acids
Why would we break down a protein?
To tell us which amino acids are in the polypeptide chain
This type of protein has parallel polypeptide chains that form long fibres. What type of protein is it?
Fibrous