Amino Acids are the chemical units or building blocks of the body that make up proteins. Protein substances make up the muscles, tendons, organs, glands, nails and hair. Growth, repair and maintenance of all cells are dependent upon them. Next to water, protein makes up the greatest portion of our body weight. The 20 amino acids that are found within proteins convey a vast array of chemical versatility. The precise amino acid content, and the sequence of those amino acids, of a specific protein, is determined by the sequence of the bases in the gene that encodes that protein. The chemical properties of the amino acids of proteins determine the biological activity of the protein.
Amino Acids that must be obtained from the diet are called Essential Amino Acids other Amino Acids that the body can manufacture from other sources are called NonEssential Amino Acids. As we learn about amino acids, it is important to keep in mind that one of the more important reasons to understand amino acid structure and properties is to understand protein structure and properties.
The Amino Acids Table application gives details such as its Triplet Name, Notation, Structure, Molecular Mass, pI, pK, Source and Functions and many more…. The Amino acid Table should turn out to be a very handy source of information for those studying and using Biochemistry and Biology in their daily practice.