Amino
Acids on Earth
by JP
1. The
properties
of Tyrosine
are:
- Aromatic, Hydrophobic
- No S or N functional group (on the R group)
- High occurence of pleated sheet form
2. A derivative of Tyrosine would be:
- Tyrosine is created from phenylalanine in the body, and is used in the synthesis
of a number of important chemicals. Of these, the Catecholamines
are of particular interest, as they are involved in a wide range of important
bodily functions.
3. An interesting
biological or pharmaceutical role of this Tyrosine derivative is:
- Dopamine (a catecholamine) has been
implicated in Parkinson's Disease, Schizophrenia, ADHD, the Reward System,
and recreational drug use. The Reward System is a Mesolimbic neural pathway
which reinforces behavior through the release of dopamine.
- The Reward System has been shown to reinforce thrill seeking behavior,
food consumption (obesity), Tobacco and Alcohol dependency, and other
forms of drug addiction.
- A person becomes addicted when the body responds to a generally
higher level of dopamine (due to stimulation of the reward system)
by reducing expression of post-synaptic dopamine receptors. The person
must then do more of the rewarding activity in order to reach the
normal level of mesolimbic dopamine stimulation.
4. On a biosphere on a distant planet outside
our solar system, a different but related amino acid is found:
- On the planet Quaestor V, a molecule very similar to Tyrosine is found in
abundance. Due to it's multiple Aromatic rings this molecule is sterically
hindered but it is also stable at high temperatures, a very useful property
on a planet as hot as Quaestor V.
