Amino Acid Formula: Definition, Types, Preparation

Amino Acid Formula contains carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen elements. Some amino acids also contain other elements in their side chains. There are more than 500 amino acids in nature (only 20 of them appear in the genetic code), and we can classify them in several ways. In addition, amino acids have both amine and carboxyl acid groups attached to their first (alpha-) carbon atom in biochemistry.

Also Read : Avogadros Law

Amino Acid Formula and Structure

Amino Acid Occurrence

Amino Acid Preparation

Types of Amino Acids

1. Alanine – ala – A
2. Arginine – arg – R
3. Asparagine – asn – N
4. Aspartic acid – asp – D
5. Cysteine – cys – C
6. Glutamine – gln – Q
7. Glutamic acid – glu – E
8. Glycine – gly – G
9. Histidine – his – H
10. Isoleucine – ile – I
11. Leucine – leu – L
12. Lysine – lys – K
13. Methionine – met – M
14. Phenylalanine – phe – F
15. Proline – pro – P
16. Serine – ser – S
17. Threonine – thr – T
18. Tryptophan – trp – W
19. Tyrosine – tyr – Y
20. Valine – val – V

Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids

Functions of Amino Acid

• Valine aids muscle growth. Threonine boosts the immune system; phenylalanine helps to maintain and improve memory power and a healthy nervous system, while lysine is necessary for forming hormones, enzymes, antibodies and stabilizing calcium in bones.
• Leucine facilitates protein synthesis and hormone production; methionine assists in treating kidney stones and skin health and wards off potential pathogenic bacteria.
• Tryptophan produces Vitamin B3 and serotonin, which controls appetite, regulates the sleep cycle, and encourages mood stability.
• Isoleucine enables the production of hemoglobin to carry oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body; it also triggers insulin production by the pancreas.
• Lastly, histidine performs multiple enzymatic roles besides contributing to red and white blood cell manufacturing.

• Our body uses cysteine as an antioxidant to provide resistance, inhibiting hair and nail growth.
• Aside from removing toxins from the body, alanine helps produce glucose and amino acids.
• In addition to maintaining proper cell growth and function, glycine also helps heal wounds and acts as a neurotransmitter
• DNA and RNA are synthesized with glutamine, which is essential for brain function
• It helps to produce proteins and hormones, detoxify the kidneys, maintain a healthy immune system, and heal wounds.
• The human brain functions and develops due to glutamic acid's role in neurotransmission.
• Muscle growth and immune system protein synthesis are aided by serine
• As well as synthesizing neurotransmitters, tyrosine is involved in the production of thyroid hormones, T3 & T4.
• Purines and pyrimidines are formed from asparagines in order to form DNA, to transport nitrogen through cells, to develop the nervous system, and to increase our body's stamina.
• In addition to repairing tissues, proline helps form collagen, regenerates new skin, and prevents thickening and hardening of artery walls
• The amino acid aspartic acid increases metabolism and promotes amino acid synthesis.

Amino Acid Properties

• In addition to their optical isomerism, amino acids contain two ionizable groups: carboxyl and amino.
• As a result of its carboxyl group, amino group, and radical R, it forms salts and undergoes decarboxylation in the presence of the carboxyl group.
• At room temperature and neutral pH, formaldehyde reacts with amino acid NH2 to form hydroxymethyl derivatives and the amino group is removed by deamination and transamination.

Amino Acid Uses

• Amino acids have a wide array of uses in industries.
• They are frequently added as supplements to animal feed and serve as essential components, such as lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan, that may be absent or deficient in bulk feedstuffs like soybeans. Glutamic acid can be used as a flavor enhancer while aspartame is a low-calorie artificial sweetener.
• Additionally, the chelating potential of some amino acids is utilized in agriculture to facilitate plant nutrient absorption.
• In the pharmaceutical sector, certain amino acids are useful for treating depression.

Functions of Amino Acids

• Muscle growth is promoted by valine
• The immune system is improved by threonine.
• The amino acid phenylalanine boosts memory and maintains a healthy nervous system
• The amino acid lysine plays a key role in the development and fixation of calcium in the bones, as well as hormones, enzymes, antibodies, as well as in the production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
• In the body, leucine promotes the synthesis of proteins and the growth of hormones
• The amino acid methionine is beneficial for treating kidney stones, maintaining healthy skin, and invading pathogenic bacteria.
• Among other things, tryptophan functions in the production of Vitamin B3 & serotonin hormones, which are responsible for maintaining appetite, regulating sleep, and boosting our mood.
• It assists in the formation of hemoglobin, transports oxygen from the lungs to various parts of the body, and stimulates insulin synthesis in the pancreas.
• The amino acid histidine plays a role in many enzymatic reactions and in the synthesis of RBCs and WBCs.

• As an antioxidant, cysteine provides resistance to the body, inhibiting hair growth and nail growth.
• The amino acid alanine assists in the removal of toxins from the body as well as the production of glucose.
• Besides maintaining proper cell growth and function, glycine also functions as a neurotransmitter and aids in wound healing
• For healthy brain function and for the synthesis of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), glutamine is essential
• As well as promoting the synthesis of proteins and hormones, arginine promotes the detoxification of kidneys, maintains a healthy immune system, and heals wounds.
• Human brain development and functioning depend on glutamic acid for neurotransmission.
• Muscle growth and immune system protein synthesis are assisted by serine
• Tyrosine is involved in the production of thyroid hormones, T3 and T4, in the formation of melanin, which is the pigment found in hair, skin, and eyes, and in the synthesis of neurotransmitters.
• The amino acid asparagine is essential to DNA synthesis, the transport of nitrogen in cells, the development of the nervous system, and improving our body's stamina.
• In addition to repairing tissues, proline helps in forming collagen, regenerating new skin and preventing artery walls from thickening and hardening.
• The amino acid aspartic acid increases metabolism and promotes the synthesis of other amino acids.