00:02
Hi there.
00:02
To answer this question, it is useful to know the basic composition of an amino acid.
00:09
So amino acid is a functional group, which means every amino acid has the same basic parts to it.
00:15
What we have is a carbon bonded to a nitrogen.
00:24
And that nitrogen is typically bonded to two hydrogens.
00:30
Going out the other direction, we have a carboxylic acid.
00:38
Thus, because of the amino group, it's amino, and because of the carboxylic acid, it is an acid.
00:48
All right.
00:49
But if we look at the carbon here in the center, it's missing a couple of bonds.
00:52
One of those goes to a hydrogen.
00:54
The other one goes to an r group.
00:58
And this is where amino acids vary.
01:00
They vary in what this r group is.
01:03
It can be a hydrocarbon chain.
01:04
It can contain sulfurs.
01:07
It's the r group that varies.
01:09
But a basic amino acid looks like this...
