The Biology Project - Biochemistry The Biology Project Biochemistry

The Biology Project > Biochemistry > The Chemistry of Amino Acids

Close window

Glycine G (Gly)

Chemical Properties:
    Aliphatic
(Aliphatic R-group)

 

Physical Properties:     
Nonpolar
   

Glycine is the smallest of the amino acids. It is ambivalent, meaning that it can be inside or outside of the protein molecule. In aqueous solution at or near neutral pH, glycine will exist predominantly as the zwitterion

The isoelectric point or isoelectric pH of glycine will be centered between the pKas of the two ionizable groups, the amino group and the carboxylic acid group.

In estimating the pKa of a functional group, it is important to consider the molecule as a whole. For example, glycine is a derivative of acetic acid, and the pKa of acetic acid is well known. Alternatively, glycine could be considered a derivative of aminoethane.

Molecular Structure of Glycine NH2-CH2-COOH
Chemical structure for glycine

Close window

The Biology Project > Biochemistry > The Chemistry of Amino Acids


The Biology Project
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
University of Arizona
August 25, 2003
Contact the Development Team

http://biology.arizona.edu
All contents copyright © 2003. All rights reserved.