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Threonine T (Thr)

Chemical Properties:
    Non-aromatic hydroxyl

(Hydroxyl group)

 Physical Properties:
    Polar (uncharged) 

 

Threonine, an essential amino acid, is a hydrophilic molecule.

Threonine is an other hydroxyl-containing amino acid. It differs from serine by having a methyl substituent in place of one of the hydrogens on the β carbon and it differs from valine by replacement of a methyl substituent with a hydroxyl group.

Note that both the α and β carbons of threonine are optically active.
molecular structure for threonine CH3-CH(OH)-CH(NH3)-COO
Chemical structure for threonine
Differs from serine
Molecular structure of Serine HO-CH2-CH(NH3)-COO
Chemical structure of Serine
Differs from valine
Molecular Structure of Valine (CH3)2-CH-CH(NH3)-COO
Chemical structure of valine
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The Biology Project > Biochemistry > The Chemistry of Amino Acids

The Biology Project
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
University of Arizona
August 25, 2003
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