Biochemistry - Ch 04 - Lecture 5 - Amino Acids (Vocab)

Front 1

Define:

α-Amino Acid

Back 1

(a.k.a. Amino Acid)

A compound consisting of a carbon atom to which are attached a primary amino group, a carboxylic acid group, a side chain (R group), and an H atom.

Also called an α-Amino Acid

Front 2

Define:

α-Carbon

Back 2

The carbon atom of an amino acid to which the amino and carboxylic acid groups are attached.

Front 3

Define:

Chiral Center

Back 3

An atom whose substituents are arranged such that it is not superimposable on its mirror image.

Also called an asymmetric center.

Front 4

Define:

Chirality

Back 4

The property of being asymmetric
A chiral molecule cannot be superimposed on its mirror image.

Front 5

Define:

Condensation Reaction

Back 5

The formation of a covalent bond between two molecules, during which the elements of water are lost; the reverse of hydrolysis.

Front 6

Define:

C-Terminus

Back 6

i.e. Carboxyl Terminus

The end of a polypeptide that has a free carboxylate group.

Also called C-terminus

Front 7

Define:

Dipeptide

Back 7

A polypeptide consisting of two amino acids.

Front 8

Define:

Enantiomers

Back 8

Molecuels that are nonsuperimposable mirror images of one another.

Enantiomers are a type of stereoisomer.

Front 9

Define:

N-Terminus

Back 9

i.e. Amino Terminus

The end of a polypeptide that has a free amino group.

Also called the N-Terminus

Front 10

Define:

Oligopeptide

Back 10

A polypeptide containing a few amino acid residues.

Front 11

Define:

Peptidase

Back 11

An enzyme that hydrolyzes peptide bonds.

Also called a protease.

Front 12

Define:

Peptide bond

Back 12

An amide linkage between the α-amino group of one amino acid and the α-carboxylate group of another.
peptide bonds link the amino acid residues in a polypeptide.

Front 13

Define:

pI

Back 13

Isoelectric Point (pI)

The pH at which a molecule has no net charge and hence does not migrate in an electric field.

Front 14

Define:

Protein

Back 14

A macromolecule that consists of one or more polypeptide chains.

Front 15

Define:

R Group

Back 15

A symbol for a variable portion of an organic molecule, such as the side chain of an amino acid.

Front 16

Define:

Residue

Back 16

A term for a monomeric unit of a polymer.

Front 17

Define:

Stereoisomer

Back 17

Chiral molecules with different configurations about at least one of their asymmetric centers but which are otherwise identical.

Front 18

Define:

Tripeptide

Back 18

A polypeptide containing three amino acids.

Front 19

Define:

Zwitterion

Back 19

(i.e. Dipolar Ion)

A compound bearing oppositely charged groups.

Also called a zwitterion.