This section covers the structures of amino acids, highlighting their core components: a central carbon atom, an amino group (–NH₂), a carboxyl group (–COOH), a hydrogen atom, and a … Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, essential for numerous biological processes, and their unique structure determines their specific roles in the body. This image provides a detailed illustration of an amino acid’s general structure, highlighting key components like the amino group, carboxyl group, and side chain, which vary among the 20 standard amino acids. Examining this structure offers a deeper understanding of protein synthesis, enzyme function, and metabolic pathways. Amino Acid Structure α – Carbon: The carboxyl carbon of an amino acid is numbered as C-1 and the α-carbon is C-2 In Latin numbers Central chiral carbon is α Carbon next to it is β and so on Carboxylic carbon is not numbered in this system. What is an amino acid? An amino acid is an organic molecule that is made up of a basic amino group (−NH 2), an acidic carboxyl group (−COOH), and an organic R group (or side chain) that is unique to each amino acid. Amino acids function as the building blocks of proteins.
