Asked by Brionna Leshae on Sep 23, 2024
Verified
Nearly all naturally occurring amino acids ________.
A) are racemic mixtures
B) are achiral
C) have the (R) configuration at the α-carbon
D) have the (S) configuration at the α-carbon
E) have basic side chains
α-Carbon
The carbon atom directly attached to a functional group in an organic molecule.
Racemic Mixtures
A mixture containing equal amounts of two enantiomers of a compound, making it optically inactive due to the canceling effect of the two forms' rotation of plane-polarized light.
Achiral
A term describing an object or molecule that is superposable on its mirror image; not chiral.
- Examine the chemical properties present in several amino acids.
Verified Answer
AD
Arlene Dacpano2 days ago
Final Answer :
D
Explanation :
Nearly all naturally occurring amino acids (except glycine, which is achiral) are found in the L-form, which most often corresponds to the (S) configuration at the α-carbon. This is a key characteristic of amino acids in proteins.
Learning Objectives
- Examine the chemical properties present in several amino acids.