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A list of tricks to help you remember the amino acids
Structures Names (letter code) Side chain features/description
Aliphatic
C
H
H COOH
NH 2
Glycine (G) hydrogen for R, most simple, optically inactive
C
H
CH 3
NH 2
COOH
Alanine (A) methyl for R, a simple functional group to start just like “A” (in alanine) starts the alphabet
C
H
NH 2
CH
CH 3
CH 3
COOH
Valine (V) simple again, but shaped like the “V” in its name
C
H
NH 2
CH CH 2 COOH
CH 3
CH 3
Leucine (L) valine extended by one methylene
C
H
NH 2
CH COOH
CH 3
CH 3 CH 2
Isoleucine (I) lopsided valine....?
N
COOH
H
Proline (P) 3 carbon chain to proline’s own nitrogen, structurally “special” and found in turns
Sulfur-containing
C
H
NH 2
CH 3 S CH 2 CH 2 COOH
Methionine (M) special - starts every protein, 3 carbons with a thioether; methyl-blocked sulfhydryl...?
C
H
NH 2
HS CH 2 COOH
Cysteine (C) “ sulfhydryl alanine,” reactive, can form disulfides
Aromatic H COOH NH 2
CH 2 C
Phenylalanine (F) alanine with a phenol group which you KNOW is aromatic, the “Y” in phenyl can remind you which 3 amino acids with names beginning with T (the “T”s) are aromatics
HO CH 2 C
H
COOH
NH 2
Tyrosine (Y) hydroxylated phenylalanine, one of 3 “T”s that has “Y” in its name so it is an aromatic
N
CH 2 C
H
NH 2
COOH
H
Tryptophan (W) one of 3 “T”s with a “Y” so it is aromatic, will “tryp” you up because it is hard to remember, has a 3 carbon start to N (or indole ring on methylene )
Aliphatic hydroxyl
C
H
NH 2
HO CH 2 COOH
Serine (S) “ hydroxyl alanine”
CH 3 C C COOH
OH H
H NH 2
Threonine (T) one of 3 “T”s, without “Y” so aliphatic (also its symbol is the first letter of its name like the other aliphatics), its “threo” parts are methyl , hydroxyl , and hydrogen on a single C
