Amino
Acids on Earth
by
Nell Burger
1.
The properties of Glutamic acid are:
-
Aliphatic, acidic
-
Negatively charged R group (containing
carboxylate function at physiological pH)
-
No functional group containing
S or N
-
Can be found in alpha helix
or beta sheet
2.
A derivative of Glutamic acid would be:
-
Monosodium glutamate is a salt
of glutamic acid, formed by the replacement of one hydrogen atom (from
the non-R-group carboxylic acid function) by one sodium atom.
3.
An interesting biological or commercial role of this glutamic acid derivative
is:
-
Monosodium glutamate is used
as a flavor enhancer in foods.
4.
On a biosphere on a distant planet outside our solar system, a different
but related amino acid is found:
-
In another biosphere, a carboxylate-containing
amino acid acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter.
