ALPHA AND BETA AMINO ACIDS

Amino acids can be classified as a, P, y, and so on. If the amino group is attached to the carbon next to the carboxylic carbon, the amino acid is an a-amino acid. If it is attached to carbon next to the a-carbon, the amino acid is a p-amino acid. 

Amino acids possess a dipolar nature. They are amphoteric, since they have both acidic and basic functional groups. Dipolar ions are often referred as zwitterions. In certain pH ranges, the amino acids exist predominantly as zwitterions, with a net charge of zero. 

PREDOMINANT AMINO ACID SPECIES AT ISOELECTRIC POINT (ZWITTERIONIC) 

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Govender T, Arvidsson PI (2006) Facile synthesis ofFmoc-N-methylated alpha- and beta-amino acids. Tetrahedron Lett 47 1691-1694... 

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