Cysteine is an amino
acid.
Amino acids generally are defined in the column on the right. There
are two types of amino acid:
* Those that can be synthesized by
the body
itself, and
*
Those
that
(are necessary
for
healthy
growth
or maintenance
of the body) but cannot be produced by the body itself. This second
type of amino acids are called "Essential
Amino Acids", and are also referred to as "Indispensible Amino
Acids" in some textbooks.
Cysteine is a "non-essential" or "dispensible" amino
acid because, although its presence in an appropriate quantity is important
for good health, the human body can produce this chemical (from any excess
of certain other amino acids in the body). Therefore it is not essential
as a component of one's diet.
Cysteine is sometimes described
as a "natural sulphur antibiotic", which can be explained by its
sulphur content (indicated in the chemical formula
below).
The presence of this sulphur component is responsible for some of the
main functions of cysteine. For example, the disulphide
(S-S) links between adjacent molecules in the polypeptide chains formed
by cysteine help
to form the 3-dimensional structures of the proteins of which they are
part.
Cysteine is also an important part of many enzymes.
The molecular formula of cysteine is: C3H7NO2S
For further general information visit the page about Amino
Acids.
Textbooks about Amino Acids and Biochemistry
generally: |
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| The above textbooks are available from Amazon.
Click on the images for further information. |
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Amino Acids
Amino acids are important biological units sometimes called the "building
blocks" of proteins because many amino
acids together form proteins. Proteins, form much of
the structure
of cells, and cells are
the basic functional units of living organisms.
Chemistry of Amino Acids:
Amino acids are organic compounds that include both an amino group,
and a carboxyl group:
The term "organic
compound"
refers to substances whose molecular structure is based on the
presence and properties of the element carbon (chemical symbol: "C").
An "amino group" is
a group of atoms arranged in a particular configuration that
includes the elements nitrogen and hydrogen and is represented by
(-NH2).
A "carboxyl group" is
a group of atoms arranged in a particular configuration that
includes carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen and is represented by (-COOH). |
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