Alpha Amino Acid Structure: Detailed Explanations

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Alpha Amino Acid Structure holds significant facts about the structural formation of chemical compounds with carboxyl groups. This article would represent those facts with discussion on Alpha Amino Acid structure.

Alpha Amino acid is identified to have polymer structure with R group. It possesses different groups with a centralised carbon atom. This structure would be described below with detailed justification.

Alpha Amino Acid structure

Here Amino acid refers to the to that term which actually hold significant value for describing the chemistry behind the formation of a carboxylic acid with a carbon atom in the central position. When both the Amino group and carboxylic group are being attached with the central carbon then that appears as Alpha Amino Acid.

α-carbon is basically that carbon  which holds a hydrogen or more than one Hydrogen atom and  a R group. When a carboxyl group and an amino group stay attached with one single carbon that compound hold, protein or peptide characters very precisely. Amino Acids are units of protein molecules.  

The structure of the Amino Acid is simple as it holds two simple groups. The structural attraction comes from those two groups in the compound. Amino Acids are protein most of the time and hold long chain, which is represented as “R” in general. That chain can hold variable components and it does not depend on the capacity.

alpha amino acid structure
Alpha Amino Acid Structure from Wikipedia

The structure of the Amino Acid compounds informs that the pH value of the compound inhibits changing characteristics, which is also highly effective in showing that the Alpha Amino Acids hold both basic and Acidic groups in the structure. Therefore, having variable in pH level is quite natural for the compounds, which actively undergoes reaction in low temperature.

These organic acidic compounds are reliable in exposing the acidic mad basic characters by centralising one carbon atom, which is called the Alpha carbon. This carbon exhibits special characteristic by being directly attached with groups. However, the long chain is also held by this carbon.

Alpha Helix Amino Acid structure

Alpha Helix structure refers to the shapes, which are noticed to conserve Repetitive group with secondary structure of the proteins differs from the main chain structure of the compounds.

alpha helix
Alpha Helix Amino Acid Structure from Wikipedia

Alpha Helix amino acids such as Alanine hold different kind of setting of the groups. The two main groups of Amino Acids hold the conformation of Alpha Helix structure with earlier existence of ruminants from the protein chain. It distinguish the helix structure from the regular sequence.

The secondary structure of the Amino Acids with distinguishable helix structure can evolve the secondary protein structures by describing chemical consequences.

Synthesis of Alpha Amino Acids

Alpha Amino Acid synthesis is conducted by several chemical methods. All the methods holds significance value for the structural formation of this compounds. As the structure of the Amino Acid compounds are not that complicated it can be obtained easily by influencing reaction s between the groups it possess.

Some processes for describing the production of Alpha Amino Acids are being listed below:

Amidomalonate Synthesis

This process is simple as it is one of variation of masonic ester synthesis process. This process is responsible for emphasise the structural uniqueness of the Alpha Amino Acid compounds.

This process of producing Alpha Amino Acids can be considered as one of the simplest process which shows the protection for Amide group under aqueous acidic condition and hydrolysis of ester. This combination gives out Alpha Amino Acids.

Strecker Synthesis

This process is highly appreciable and it is considered as a perfect process to synthesise Al[ha Amino acid by consuming the exact structure of Alpha Amino Acid.

This synthesis reaction happens among an aldehyde, ammonia (the amine precursor) and cyanide (the carboxyl precursor). It precisely encourages the production of Amino Acid by maintaining the structural assembly of the groups.

Ammonia is reaction helps to generate Amine group in the compound and Cyanide works as the carboxyl precursor in the series. As a product in this synthesis process Alpha Amino nitrile is formed and the hydrolysis of this compound gives out Alpha Amino Acid.

Reductive Amination

This method is also quite relevant to produce perfect Alpha Amino Acid. Basically, this is one of the suitable synthesise process which easily executes the desirable products with long chain carbonised compound.

Reductive Amination gives out Alpha Amino Acid from Alpha Keto Acids. Besides, it can be formed from alpha compounds as well.  As an example, the amination method of Alpha bromo carboxiliyc acid drives the compound to produce Alpha Amino carboxylic Acid.

These all the synthesise process hold perfect structure of Amino Acid which emphasise that the structure of Alpha Amino Acids are unique and stable anyway.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question 1: Do all the Amino Acids are considered as Alpha Amino Acids?

Answers: Not All Amino Acids are considered as Alpha Amino Acids as not all the Amino acid have carbon atoms in central position in the chemical structure. Alpha Amino Acids holds special characteristics wit stable structural formation in chemistry.

Question 2: Give two examples of Alpha Helix Amino Acid compounds?

Answers: Alanine and Glycine are two relevant examples of Alpha Helix Amino Acids which hold centralised carbon atom the structure. That is an α-carbon in the structural formula.

Question 3: What is Beta Amino acid? Distinguish this group from Alpha Amino Acids.

Answers: When the carbon possesses the beta position that is not exactly the central position on the amino acid structure, the compounds are called Beta Amino Acid compounds.

The carboxylic group and amino groups in the Alpha Amino Acids present in the adjacent carbon atom of the compound but in Beta Amino Acids the amine group has been noticed to be attached with the secondary carbon present in the carboxylic group. Therefore, there is a huge structural difference in the compounds.

Question 4: Which group is acidic in Amino Acids? What is the significance of saying Alpha in the chemical name?

Answers: Carboxylic acid is the group, which provides acidic nature in the Alpha Amino Acids. When the Carboxylic and amine groups are present being attached with the adjacent carbon atom in the Amino Acids the term Aloha for that Alpha carbon takes place in the chemical name of the Amino Acids.

Question 5: When do Alpha Amino Acids show amphoteric behaviour?

Answers: in the form of Zwitter ion, the Alpha Amino acids can be found to execute amphoteric behaviour. Zwitter ion refers to that stage when the compound possesses both oposituvce nad negative ions in the terminal of the compounds.

Also, know about Alanine Amino Acid Structure and SCL2 Lewis Structure.