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Amino Acids MCAT

Terms in this set (20)

Glycine, Gly, G
Aliphatic (non-polar)
Most simple, optically inactive
Hydrogen for R
Alanine, Ala, A
Aliphatic (non-polar)
Methyl for R, a simple functional group to start just like "A" starts alphabet
Valine, Val, V
Aliphatic (non-polar)
Simple, R shaped like a V
Leucine, Leu, L
Aliphatic (non-polar)
Valine extended with one methyle
Isoleucine, Ile, I
Aliphatic (non-polar)
"Lopsided Valine"
Proline, Pro, P
Aliphatic (non-polar)
3 Carbon chain to N
Special Structure found in turns
Methionine, Met, M
Sulfur Containing
Starts every protein
3 Carbons with a thioether
methyl blocked sulfhydryl
non-polar
Cysteine, Cys, C
Sulfur Containing
Sulfhydryl alanine
reactive, can form disulfides
Phenylalanine, Phe, F
Aromatic
Alanine with phenyl group
y reminds of aromatics
Tyrosine, Tyr, Y
Aromatic
hydroxylated
phenylalanine, one of 3 "T"s
that has "Y" in its name so it is an aromatic
Tryptophan, Trp, W
Aromatic
one of 3 "T"s with a "Y" so it is aromatic, will
"tryp" you up because it is hard to remember,
has a 3 carbon start to N (or indole ring on methylene)
Serine, Ser, S
Aliphatic hydroxyl
"hydroxyl alanine"
Threonine, Thr, T
Aliphatic, "threo" parts are methyl, hydroxyl, and hydrogen on a single C
Aspartate, Asp, D
Acidic
"carboxyl alanine"
"ate" -> acidic
Glutamate, Glu, E
Aspartate plus one methylene, side chain length is signified by alphabetical ordering of the first letter in the names (G is after A)
Arginine, Arg, R
Basic (pos charge)
3 carbon chain linked to a C full of only N's (no H's & C has 4 bonds) through an N
Lysine, Lys, K
Basic (pos charge)
3 carbon chain plus one methylene to amino, it lies ("Lys") about the 3 carbon trend
Histidine, His, H
Basic (Pos charge)
3 carbons to N and loop back through C 'n' N
Asparagine, Asn, N
Amide derivatives of acids - loose OH for NH2 to loose charge
amide derivative of aspartate
Glutamine, Gln, Q
Amide derivatives of acids - loose OH for NH2 to loose charge
amide derivative of glutamate
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