The 20 Standard Amino Acids

This will teach you how to identify each amino acid by structure and know the single letter codes for each one.

What is the name of this amino acid, and, its single and three letter code?

Alanine

Code: A

Three letter symbol: Ala

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Arginine

Single letter code: R

Three letter code: Arg

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Asparagine

Single letter code: N

Three letter code: Asn

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Aspartic Acid

single letter code: D

three letter code: Asp 

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Cystine 

Single letter code: C

Three letter code: Cys 

What is the name of this amino acid, and what are the single letter and three letter codes?

Glutamic acid 

Single letter code: E

Three letter code: Glu

What is the name of this amino acid, and what are the single and three letter codes?

Glutamine 

Single letter code: Q

Three letter code: Gln

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Glycine

Single letter code: G

Three letter code: Gly

What is the name of this amino acid, and what are the single and three letter codes?

Histidine 

Single letter code: H

Three letter code: His 

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Isoleucine 

Single letter code: I

Three letter code: Ile 

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Leucine

Single letter code: L

Three letter code: Leu

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Lysine

Single letter code: K

Three letter code: Lys

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Methionine

Single letter code: M

Three letter code: Met

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Phenylalanine

Single letter code: F

Three letter code: Phe

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Proline

Single letter code: P

Three letter code: Pro

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Serine

Single letter code: S 

Three letter code: Ser

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Threonine

Single letter code: T

Three letter code: Thr

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Tryptophan

Single letter code: W

Three letter code: Trp

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Tyrosine

Single letter code: Y

Three letter code: Tyr

What is the name of this amino acid, and, what are the single and three letter codes?

Valine

Single letter code: V 

Three letter code: Val 

What are the amino acids with positively charged side chains?

Histidine, Arginine and Lysine

Histidine’s imidazole side chain (a 5 part member ring with two nitrogen) is the positively charged part. 

Which amino acids have negatively charged side chains?

Glutamic acid and aspartic acid

(Their conjugate bases have a negatively charged oxygen).

Which amino acids have polar but uncharged sides?

Serine, Threonine, Asparagine and Glutamine.

(The electronegativity of the atoms O and N cause them to be polar).

Which amino acids have special case side chains?

Cystine, Glycine and Proline.

They all have unique side chain structure which gives them important properties in protein structure. 

What are the amino acids with hydrophobic side chains?

Alanine, Valine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine and Tryptophan

What is the pneumonic for the first row of the codon grid and the number code associated with it?

F L I M V

2 6 3 1 4

What is the pneumonic for the second row of the codon grid and the number code associated with it?

S P T A

4 4 4 4

What is the pneumonic for the third row of the codon grid and the number code associated with it?

Y St H Q N K D E

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Your STory Hour QuestioNs Know De Effort

What is the pneumonic for the forth row of the codon grid and the number code associated with it?

C St W R S R G

2 1 1 4 2 2 4 

Central STation Will Ruin Somebody’s Running Game

What is a special property of Cystine?

Cystine can be oxidised and reduced.

When oxidised they form the disulphide bonds.