Biochemistry For Dummies

Studying amino acids (the building blocks of proteins which we need to grow and develop) is essential in Biochemistry. The four subgroups of Amino acids are: nonpolar, polar and uncharged, acidic, and basic.

Biochemistry's Basic Amino Acids

Amino acids are important to the study of biochemistry because they’re the building blocks of proteins found in all cells. The basic group of amino acids is represented here:

Nonpolar [Hydrophobic] Amino Acids of Biochemistry

Amino acids play an important role in the study of biochemistry. The following nonpolar amino acids are hydrophobic, or water hating. They don’t gratefully interact with (dissolve in) water. Here are the nonpolar amino acids:

Polar and Uncharged Amino Acids of Biochemistry

Except for glycine, the polar and uncharged (hydrophilic) amino acids can hydrogen bond to water and usually are more soluble than the nonpolar amino acids. The polar and uncharged amino acids studied in biochemistry are

Biochemistry's Acidic Amino Acids

Important to the study of biochemistry, aspartic and glumatic acids are negatively charged at physiological pH and polar. These two amino acids make up the acidic amino acid group and are represented here: