How To Make Amino Acids In Little Alchemy

Understanding the Properties of Amino Acids

Properties of α-Amino Acids

α-Amino acids are complex molecules with unique properties that contribute to their role in life processes. These properties include:

pKa

The pKa value represents the pH at which half of the amino acid molecules are protonated and half are deprotonated. The protonation (addition of a proton) occurs at the amino group, and deprotonation (removal of a proton) occurs at the carboxylic acid group. The pKa values of alpha-amino acids are typically around 2.0 for the amino group and 9.0 for the carboxylic acid group.

pKb

The pKb value is the negative logarithm of the base dissociation constant, which is the equilibrium constant for the deprotonation of the amino acid. It represents the pH at which half of the amino acid molecules are deprotonated. The pKb values of alpha-amino acids are typically around 12.0 for the amino group and 5.0 for the carboxylic acid group.

pKx

The pKx value represents the pH at which the amino acid is zwitterionic, meaning it has both a positive charge (ammonium group) and a negative charge (carboxylate group). It is calculated as the average of the pKa and pKb values. The pKx values of alpha-amino acids are typically around 6.0.

pl

The pl, or isoelectric point, is the pH at which the net charge of the amino acid is zero. At the pl, the amino group is protonated, and the carboxylic acid group is deprotonated. The pl values of alpha-amino acids are typically around 5.5.