Amino Acids and Proteins Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs) & Answers Amino Acids and Proteins

Amino Acids and Proteins Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs)& Answers

CONCEPTS & THEORIES

amino-acids-and-proteins

About Amino Acids and Proteins

Amino acids are organic compounds that contain amine (-NH2) and carboxyl (-COOH) functional groups, along with a side chain (R group) specific to each amino acid.Amino acids play central roles both as building blocks of proteins and as intermediates in metabolism. The 20 amino acids that are found within proteins convey a vast array of chemical versatility.

Proteins are among the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and are way more diverse in structure and function than other classes of macromolecules. A single cell can contain thousands of proteins, each with a unique function. Although their structures, like their functions, vary greatly, all proteins are made up of one or more chains of amino acids.

Essential amino acids

Humans can produce 10 of the 20 amino acids. The others must be supplied in the food. Failure to obtain enough of even 1 of the 10 essential amino acids, those that we cannot make, results in degradation of the body’s proteins—muscle and so forth—to obtain the one amino acid that is needed. Unlike fat and starch, the human body does not store excess amino acids for later use—the amino acids must be in the food every day.

Acid-Base Properties

Another important feature of free amino acids is the existence of both a basic and an acidic group at the α-carbon. Compounds such as amino acids that can act as either an acid or a base are called amphoteric.

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