Amino
Acids on Earth
by
Dr. S.
1.
The properties of Glycine are:
-
Aliphatic, hydrophobic
-
No ionizable R group
-
No functional group containing
S or N
-
Can be found in alpha helix
or beta sheet
2.
A derivative of Glycine would be: (hint: type glycine derivative in search
engine)
3.
An interesting biological or pharmaceutical role of this glycine derivative
is:
-
Glycine is an important inhibitor
of neurotransmitters in the brain. Glycine itself does not readily
cross the blood-brain barrier (why not?) but
derivatives such as Z-glycine and Z-glycinamide do enter the brain, and
show anticonvulsant
activity.
4.
On a biosphere on a distant planet outside our solar system, a different
but related amino acid is found:
-
On planet Vulcan, dimethyl glycine
is found in proteins. It serves a structural function similar to
alanine or glycine.
