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Multiple Choice
Which of these is found in all amino acids?
A
—COOH
B
—COH
C
—OH
D
both —COOH and —NH2
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the basic structure of an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and have a central carbon atom (known as the alpha carbon) to which four different groups are attached.
Identify the four groups attached to the central carbon in an amino acid: an amino group (\(\text{NH}_2\)), a carboxyl group (\(\text{COOH}\)), a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain (R group) that determines the identity of the amino acid.
Recognize that the amino group (\(\text{NH}_2\)) and the carboxyl group (\(\text{COOH}\)) are the functional groups that are present in all amino acids.
Note that the presence of both the amino group and the carboxyl group is what classifies a molecule as an amino acid, making these groups essential to their structure.
Conclude that both \(\text{COOH}\) (carboxyl group) and \(\text{NH}_2\) (amino group) are found in all amino acids, which is why the correct answer is both \(\text{COOH}\) and \(\text{NH}_2\).