Table of contents

1. A Review of General Chemistry5h 5m
2. Molecular Representations1h 14m
3. Acids and Bases2h 46m
4. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes4h 17m
5. Chirality3h 39m
6. Thermodynamics and Kinetics1h 22m
7. Substitution Reactions1h 48m
8. Elimination Reactions2h 30m
9. Alkenes and Alkynes2h 9m
10. Addition Reactions3h 19m
11. Radical Reactions1h 58m
12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols2h 42m
13. Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds2h 17m
14. Synthetic Techniques1h 26m
15. Analytical Techniques:IR, NMR, Mass Spect7h 3m
16. Conjugated Systems6h 13m
17. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy51m
18. Aromaticity2h 34m
19. Reactions of Aromatics: EAS and Beyond5h 1m
20. Phenols55m
21. Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition4h 56m
22. Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: NAS2h 51m
23. The Chemistry of Thioesters, Phophate Ester and Phosphate Anhydrides1h 10m
24. Enolate Chemistry: Reactions at the Alpha-Carbon1h 53m
25. Condensation Chemistry2h 9m
26. Amines1h 43m
27. Heterocycles2h 0m
28. Carbohydrates5h 53m
29. Amino Acids4h 20m
30. Peptides and Proteins2h 42m
31. Catalysis in Organic Reactions1h 30m
32. Lipids 2h 50m
33. The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways2h 52m
34. Nucleic Acids1h 32m
35. Transition Metals6h 14m
36. Synthetic Polymers1h 49m

29. Amino Acids

Proteins and Amino Acids

Organic Chemistry

29. Amino Acids

Proteins and Amino Acids

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Multiple Choice

What component of amino acid structure varies among different amino acids?

The central carbon atom

The carboxyl group

The side chain (R group)

The amino group

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Verified step by step guidance

Begin by understanding the basic structure of an amino acid. Each amino acid has a central carbon atom, known as the alpha carbon, which is bonded to four different groups: an amino group (-NH2), a carboxyl group (-COOH), a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain (R group).

Recognize that the amino group (-NH2) and the carboxyl group (-COOH) are common to all amino acids. These groups do not vary among different amino acids.

Identify the component that varies among different amino acids. This is the side chain, often referred to as the R group. The R group is what differentiates one amino acid from another, giving each amino acid its unique properties.

Understand that the side chain (R group) can be anything from a simple hydrogen atom, as in glycine, to more complex structures like aromatic rings, as in phenylalanine. These variations affect the amino acid's chemical behavior and role in proteins.

Conclude that the central carbon atom, the amino group, and the carboxyl group are consistent across all amino acids, while the side chain (R group) is the component that varies, providing diversity in amino acid structures.