ABSTRACT
There is an important class of difunctional molecule that is critical to an understanding of biological processes. Amino acids comprise the backbone of peptides, and thereby of enzymes. This chapter discusses the structure, nomenclature, and characteristics of amino acids. The basic amine reacts intramolecularly with the acidic proton of acetic acid to form a conjugate base and a conjugate acid in the same molecule. An intermolecular example of this reaction occurs when methanamine (methyl amine) and acetic acid are mixed together, and the product is methylammonium acetate. There are two enantiomers for each amino acid, based on the zwitterionic forms of a generic amino acid with one alkyl group R and one hydrogen atom.
