Amino Acid Functional Groups

Professor Miesfeld at the University of Arizona

This Online Biochemistry Course is based on Miesfeld’s Biochemistry (3rd Edition)

The 20 amino acids sort into four chemical groups based on their side chains: charged, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and aromatic. This video covers how that R-group chemistry controls protein folding and function, with examples including phosphorylation, disulfide bonds, and the chemistry behind green fluorescent protein (GFP).

Key concepts covered: 20 amino acids, R-group chemistry, charged/hydrophilic/hydrophobic/aromatic side chains, side-chain pKa and ionization, serine/threonine/tyrosine phosphorylation, cysteine disulfide bonds, UV absorbance at 280 nm, GFP chromophore.