Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Amino acids bind together to form polypeptide chains, and these polypeptides fold and coil together into specific conformations to form proteins. There are 20 different amino acids, each amino acid consisting of four distinct partners. The first is a carboxyl group. A carboxyl group has very weak acids that are able to donate hydrogen ions to biological reactions. The second partner is the amino acid group. Amino acid groups act as the base which, along with pH, the electronegativity of the entire amino acid is dependent
on. The third component of amino acids is the hydrogen atom. Finally the last component of amino acids is the variable R group. The R group is the component that determines many of the cells unique characteristics such as its hydrophobic or hydrophilic properties. The R group can be anything from a hydrogen atom to a carbon skeleton with many functional groups attached. These four components of amino acids are all......
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