Chemical and Process Engineering

Amino Acids Side Chain Effects

At this point, each amino acid is joined to a distinct chemical group, known as its side chain. Each amino acid has a distinct side chain that gives it its own set of chemical characteristics. The protruding structures from a protein's backbone are called side chains. Others can be "flipped" to various positions whereas some side chains only have one position. There is a distinct side chain, known as R group that is also joined to the carbon in each of the 20 amino acids. The R groups come in a wide range of forms, dimensions, charges, and reactivity’s. This enables the classification of amino acids based on the chemical characteristics of their side chains