Question

Which of the following statements about amino acids is true?

1) Amino acids can form peptide bonds.
2) Amino acids are composed of a central carbon surrounded by an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain.
3) Amino acids can have side chains that are polar, nonpolar, or with unique properties.
4) All of these statements are true.

Answer 1

All the provided statements about amino acids are true; they can form peptide bonds, are composed of an alpha carbon bonded to amino and carboxyl groups, a hydrogen atom, and a unique side chain, and their side chains can have various properties.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question at hand pertains to the properties of amino acids, which are the monomers that make up proteins. The statements provided for consideration are:

1. Amino acids can form peptide bonds.
2. Amino acids are composed of a central carbon surrounded by an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain.
3. Amino acids can have side chains that are polar, nonpolar, or with unique properties.
4. All of these statements are true.

All of these statements correctly describe attributes of amino acids. Specifically, amino acids indeed feature a central alpha carbon atom that is bonded to an amino group (-NH₂), a carboxyl group (-COOH), a hydrogen atom, and a distinct side chain or R-group. This R-group is what makes each amino acid unique, granting them properties that can be polar, nonpolar, or otherwise distinctive. Furthermore, amino acids have the capacity to form peptide bonds between one another through a dehydration synthesis reaction, leading to the formation of polypeptides and eventually proteins.