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Amino Acids

Chemistry: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 7.2.15

Amino Acids

Amino acids are organic compounds that have two different functional groups.

What are the functional groups of amino acids?

What are the functional groups of amino acids?

  1. Amine group (-NH2)
  2. Carboxyl group (-COOH)
  • E.g. glycine (H2NCH2COOH)
Polymerisation of amino acids

Polymerisation of amino acids

  • Amino acids can be combined by condensation polymerisation. The products of this reaction are a polypeptide and water.
  • E.g. nH2NCH2COOH → (-HNCH2COO-)n + nH2O

Test yourself on Amino Acids

  • What process joins amino acids together to give a polypeptide?

  • The functional groups of amino acids

  • What is produced when amino acids are combined by condensation polymerisation?

  • What does the number n represent in the polypeptide formula (-HNCH2COO-)n, formed when amino acids undergo condensation polymerisation?

  • What are the chemical formulae of the two functional groups in amino acids?

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