Answer:
an amino group, carboxyl group, hydrogen atom, and a side chain bonded to the central carbon atom
Explanation:
An amino acid essentially comprises amino group (-NH₂), carboxyl group (-COOH), hydrogen atom (-H), and a side chain (represented by R) which are attached to a central carbon atom. The central carbon atom to which all of them are attached is known as alpha carbon (α carbon). The bonds that -NH₂ and -COOH make with α carbon are known as phi (Ф) and psi (Ψ) bonds respectively.
The structure of a typical amino acid is depicted as under:
H
|
H₂N - C - COOH
|
R
The position of -NH₂ and -COOH decide whether it is a L amino acid or R amino acid.
