MCAT: Biochemistry Questions and Answers 100% Pass

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amino acid ✔✔molecules that contain: 1. an amino group (-NH2) 2. carboxyl group (-COOH) 3. R group/side chain - determines the chemical properties 4. Hydrogen atom (-H) main focus is on alpha... aa's - not every amino acid is an alpha aa (GABA) - not every amino acid is coded for a codon - some aa's are converted to non codon coded aa for specific reasons - in eukaryotes they are all L configuration alpha amino acid ✔✔aa that the amino group and the carboxyl group are attached to the same carbon (alpha carbon of the carboxylic acid) alpha carbon is chiral (beisdes glycine) - optically active - in eukaryotes they are all L configurationR group ✔✔side group of the amino acid every amino acid has a different one determines the properties of the amino acids and thus their functions GABA ✔✔gamma aminobutyric acid amino group and carboxyl group are not on the same carbon amino group is on the gamma carbon from the carbonyl proteinogenic amino acids ✔✔20 alpha amino acids amino acids that are encoded by the human genetic code through codons since they are all chiral at the alpha carbon (besides glycine) - L CONFIGURATION have at least two group that can be protonated/deprotonated - two (maybe three) pka's chiral amino acids ✔✔the alpha carbon in alpha aa's optically active has four different groups attached to it exception - glycine (has two H's) [Show More]

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