Science, Tech, Math › Science Amino Acids Amino Acids Characteristics and Structures Share Flipboard Email Print ALFRED PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images Science Chemistry Biochemistry Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry In Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Facebook Twitter Chemistry Expert Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on August 04, 2019 Amino acids are a type of organic acid that contains both a carboxyl group (COOH) and an amino group (NH2). The general formula for an amino acid is given below. Although the neutrally-charged structure is commonly written, it is inaccurate because the acidic COOH and basic NH2 groups react with one another to form an internal salt called a zwitterion. The zwitterion has no net charge; there is one negative (COO-) and one positive (NH3+) charge. There are 20 amino acids derived from proteins. While there are several methods of categorizing them, one of the most common is to group them according to the nature of their side chains. Nonpolar Side Chains There are eight amino acids with nonpolar side chains. Glycine, alanine, and proline have small, nonpolar side chains and are all weakly hydrophobic. Phenylalanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, and methionine have larger side chains and are more strongly hydrophobic. Polar, Uncharged Side Chains There are also eight amino acids with polar, uncharged side chains. Serine and threonine have hydroxyl groups. Asparagine and glutamine have amide groups. Histidine and tryptophan have heterocyclic aromatic amine side chains. Cysteine has a sulfhydryl group. Tyrosine has a phenolic side chain. The sulfhydryl group of cysteine, phenolic hydroxyl group of tyrosine, and imidazole group of histidine all show some degree of pH-dependent ionization. Charged Side Chains There are four amino acids with charged side chains. Aspartic acid and glutamic acid have carboxyl groups on their side chains. Each acid is fully ionized at pH 7.4. Arginine and lysine have side chains with amino groups. Their side chains are fully protonated at pH 7.4. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Amino Acids." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/amino-acids-characteristics-608190. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 27). Amino Acids. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/amino-acids-characteristics-608190 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Amino Acids." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/amino-acids-characteristics-608190 (accessed May 29, 2023). copy citation