Chapter 5.4, Problem 3CC

Summary Introduction

To analyse: If carboxyl and amino groups of an amino acid are present in a polypeptide or not.

Introduction:

Amino acids are organic compounds containing an amino group and an acidic group as substituents on the same carbon which is the a-carbon. Hence, they are known as a-amino acids. The carbon also bears a hydrogen atom and a variable group designated as the R group. The amino acids are amphoteric (can act as both an acid or base) in nature.

Polypeptides are long chain-like structures composed of repetitive units of amino acids arranged linearly that are linked by peptide bonds. Peptides are small chains of amino acids and proteins are long chains that are composed of many polypeptide subunits.