Amino
Acids -
The
basic
units
in
all
proteins
are
amino
acids
and
the
number
and
sequence
of
these
amino
acids
in
a
protein
is
what
distinguishes
one
from
the
other.
Each
amino
acid
is
different
from
the
other
in
the
R
group
or
the
side
chain.
Their
common
features
include
an
(α-carbon
atom,
an α-carboxyl
group,
an α-amino
group
and
a
side
chain
attached
to
the α-carbon.
The
carboxyl
and
the
amino
groups
are
involved
in
the
peptide
bond
formation
which
serve
as
the
connecting
links
between
amino
acid
residues
within
the
polypeptide
chain.
With
the
exception
of
glycine
all
the
amino
acids
are
asymmetric
around
the α-carbon
namely
L
and
D,
distinguished
by
the
direction
in
which
each
rotates
the
polarized
light.
Amino
acids
found
in
natural
proteins
are
of
L-configuration.
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