(noun/uh-mean-OH-ah-sid)
by Chelsea Smith
What does it mean?
Amino acids are naturally occurring compounds that are the building blocks for proteins created in our cells. An amino acid has a basic group (-NH), acidic carboxyl group (-COOH) and a side chain, which is unique to each amino acid. Amino acids can also be organized into four types: acidic, basic, polar, and non-polar.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“Our cells use amino acids to create proteins.”
Pictured above is the general structure of an amino acid, consisting of a basic group (NH2), carboxyl group (COOH), and an R group, which is unique to each amino acid. Image generated by author using BioRender.
Related terms
- Protein
- Peptide
- Translation
- Molecule
- Enzyme
