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Amino Acids -

1. Any organic compound containing an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl
(-COOH) group. We call amino acids building blocks. Amino acids are going to be parts of substances that help to build. There are 20 known amino acids. When nitrate goes into the tree it is changed to other nitrogen compounds including amino acids. The nitrogen seldom moves in trees as nitrates. The amino acids form proteins and proteins are major parts of the living substances, especially protoplasm. Life's amino acids are mostly left handed. Amino acids have a central carbon that has connected to it an NH2 group, a hydrogen, a chain or ring of carbon groups, and a COOH group. The COOH, or carboxyl group, makes it an acid.

2. Amino acids have a nitrogen in their basic structure. There are often more nitrogen atoms in their R groups. The amino acids are the building blocks for proteins. Amino acids come as left and right forms. Just as your hands do. Left hand amino acids are the major ones that form proteins for most of all living organisms. The amino acids are called chiral substances because of the hand like feature. There are 20 Amino Acids, that we know of. The acids come as left and right forms, similar to hands. The left hand is similar to the right hand, but they do not fit over each other. Almost all of the forms making up life are the left-handed forms. Only a few organisms have right-handed forms. Left-handed forms of amino acids make up life. There are many names given to chemical substances that have this left and right forms. Genes determine the type, number, configuration and position of the amino acids. All organisms inherit a pattern of genes from two haploids that form a diploid.