Amino Acids: An amino acid is an organic compound containing both basic amine, NH2, and
acidic carboxylic acid COOH.
α- Amino Acids: Body has 20 amino acids, all of which are α- amino acids where amine group
attached to α carbon atom- the second carbon atom next to carboxyl group. These 20 amino
acids differ by side chain R attached to same α carbon atom. If question says it’s an amine group,
then will have this same basic layout, all I need to figure out is the R group.
General formula RCH(NH2)COOH
There are less common amino acids where amine group attached to β- carbon (third) and ϒcarbon (fourth).