Mekaeel
Moderator
ok guys.we've benn talking earlier today about Amino Acids.lets see if this may help us out.
Amino Acids
Proteins have been called "the building blocks" of animals. They are large molecules comprised of subunits called amino acids. Around 20 amino acids are found commonly in nature, and well over 100 are less common. Amino acids are small molecules with a relatively straightforward basic structure. At one end of the molecule is an organic acid group. An acid is simply a molecule that releases a proton, or hydrogen ion (H[SIZE=-1]+[/SIZE]), in a solution. The most common organic acids contain a -COOH group, which ionizes in water to become -COO[SIZE=-1]-[/SIZE] + H[SIZE=-1]+[/SIZE]. Vinegar is one of the simplest organic acids, and it can be represented by the formula, CH[SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE]COOH. Adding one -CH[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE] group to vinegar gives CH[SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE]CH[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE]COOH, which has the common name of proprionic or propanoic acid.
The basic backbone of an amino is a proprionic acid molecule with an amine, or -NH[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE], group substituted for one of the hydrogen atoms on the middle carbon atom, giving the formula CH[SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE]HCNH[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE]COOH. This is the formula for one of the simplest amino acids, alanine, and it has the typical amino acid structure, which is shown below.
Figure 1. The diagrammatic generalized structure of alanine, a simple amino acid. All amino acids have a similar basic structure possessing the acid and the amino groups; only the radical group differs between different amino acids.
Proteins are assembled in a cell by chemically bonding a great many amino acids, with the structure and properties of all proteins ultimately determined by their amino acid sequence and how these molecules are folded into complex shapes. In living organisms, all larger molecules have a finite "lifetime," after which they are disposed of. When proteins are broken down, enzymes slice them back down into their component amino acids. These amino acids may or may not be further broken down and their constituents harvested for new uses in the cell. If they are broken down completely to their component parts, the critical part of each amino acid is the amino group. All other parts of amino acids can be recycled and reused by animals, but the amino groups cannot be disassembled into nitrogen and hydrogen atoms; they remain together, and therein is the problem.
Waste Extraction, the Invertebrate Way by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com
Amino Acids
Proteins have been called "the building blocks" of animals. They are large molecules comprised of subunits called amino acids. Around 20 amino acids are found commonly in nature, and well over 100 are less common. Amino acids are small molecules with a relatively straightforward basic structure. At one end of the molecule is an organic acid group. An acid is simply a molecule that releases a proton, or hydrogen ion (H[SIZE=-1]+[/SIZE]), in a solution. The most common organic acids contain a -COOH group, which ionizes in water to become -COO[SIZE=-1]-[/SIZE] + H[SIZE=-1]+[/SIZE]. Vinegar is one of the simplest organic acids, and it can be represented by the formula, CH[SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE]COOH. Adding one -CH[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE] group to vinegar gives CH[SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE]CH[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE]COOH, which has the common name of proprionic or propanoic acid.
The basic backbone of an amino is a proprionic acid molecule with an amine, or -NH[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE], group substituted for one of the hydrogen atoms on the middle carbon atom, giving the formula CH[SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE]HCNH[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE]COOH. This is the formula for one of the simplest amino acids, alanine, and it has the typical amino acid structure, which is shown below.
Figure 1. The diagrammatic generalized structure of alanine, a simple amino acid. All amino acids have a similar basic structure possessing the acid and the amino groups; only the radical group differs between different amino acids.
Proteins are assembled in a cell by chemically bonding a great many amino acids, with the structure and properties of all proteins ultimately determined by their amino acid sequence and how these molecules are folded into complex shapes. In living organisms, all larger molecules have a finite "lifetime," after which they are disposed of. When proteins are broken down, enzymes slice them back down into their component amino acids. These amino acids may or may not be further broken down and their constituents harvested for new uses in the cell. If they are broken down completely to their component parts, the critical part of each amino acid is the amino group. All other parts of amino acids can be recycled and reused by animals, but the amino groups cannot be disassembled into nitrogen and hydrogen atoms; they remain together, and therein is the problem.
Waste Extraction, the Invertebrate Way by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com