Which one of the following statements is correct? [2012]a)All amino ac...
With the exception of glycine all the 19 other common amino acids have a uniquely different functional group on the central tetrahedral alpha carbon.
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Which one of the following statements is correct? [2012]a)All amino ac...
Explanation:
Optical Activity:
Optical activity refers to the ability of a compound to rotate the plane of polarized light. A compound is said to be optically active if it can rotate the plane of polarized light, and optically inactive if it cannot.
Amino Acids:
Amino acids are organic compounds that are the building blocks of proteins. They contain an amino group (-NH2) and a carboxyl group (-COOH) attached to a central carbon atom, along with a side chain specific to each amino acid.
Optical Activity of Amino Acids:
Amino acids can exist in two different forms known as enantiomers or optical isomers. These forms are mirror images of each other and are labeled as either L or D based on their configuration.
- L-amino acids have the amino group on the left side of the central carbon atom.
- D-amino acids have the amino group on the right side of the central carbon atom.
Glycine and Glutamic Acid:
Glycine and glutamic acid are two specific amino acids.
- Glycine is the simplest amino acid and consists of a hydrogen atom as the side chain.
- Glutamic acid has a side chain containing a carboxylic acid group (-COOH).
Correct Statement:
The correct statement is option C: All amino acids except glycine are optically active.
This means that all amino acids, except glycine, can exist in two different enantiomeric forms (L and D) and can rotate the plane of polarized light. Glycine, on the other hand, does not have a chiral carbon atom and therefore cannot exist in enantiomeric forms. It is optically inactive.
It is important to note that the statement in option B is incorrect because not all amino acids are optically active. Glycine is an example of an amino acid that is optically inactive. Similarly, the statement in option A is incorrect because lysine is an example of an amino acid that is optically active.
Therefore, the correct statement is option C: All amino acids except glycine are optically active.