The R functional group is known as the amino acid side chain. 2 There are 20 common different amino acid side chains. 3 This is what distinguishes one amino acid from another.
Amino acids carry two functional groups: an amine group (-NH2) and a carboxylic acid group (-COOH). They are different because they have different side chains (R groups) attac … hed to an alpha carbon that is specific to each amino acid. An amino acid is constituted by the amine group, the carboxylic acid group, and the side chain (AKA Remainder group). It's the chemistry of the … side chain that makes an amino acid unique from the other amino acids. 4 people found this useful. Answered. In Elements and Compounds. Rating Newest Oldest. Best Answer: All of them share a basic structure of one amine (NH2) group and one carboxylic (COOH) group linked to a carbon atom. A side chain is also linked to this carbon, and that's what varies between amino acids: it can vary in its composition, charge, length... A codon is a segment of the DNA or RNA that consists of three nucleotides. This codon (if RNA) is read by ribosomes and the codon is made into a amino acid. Several amino acids are made (until a stop codon is reached) and link together to make a protein. 1 The R functional group is known as the amino acid side chain. 2  There are 20 common different amino acid side chains. 3  This is what distinguishes one amino acid from another. 4  Amino acids are also known as residues.  Thus, the characteristic that distinguishes one amino acid from another is its unique side chain, and it is the side chain that dictates an amino acids chemical properties. Peptide bonds are formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of the next amino acid. Peptide bond formation occurs in a condensation reaction involving loss of a molecule of water. INTRODUCTION. Twenty different amino acids are used to build proteins, whether those proteins are constructed in you and me, or in a worm, bacterium, whale, or any other living creature on Earth. Amino Acids. Twenty different amino acids are used to build proteins, whether those proteins are constructed in you and me, or in a worm, bacterium, whale, or any other living creature on Earth. Confidence votes 85. The remainder group or R Group. An amino acid is constituted by the amine group, the carboxylic acid group, and the side chain (AKA Remainder group). It's the chemistry of the side chain that makes an amino acid unique from the other amino acids The remainder group or R Group. An amino acid is constituted by the amine group, the carboxylic acid group, and the side chain (AKA Remainder group). It's the chemistry of the … side chain that makes an amino acid unique from the other amino acids. 4 people found this useful. Answered. In Elements and Compounds. Proteins. Proteins are a chain of aminoacids. There are 20 common amino acids. Amino acids share a common structure except for one chemical group (R, side chain) attached to the central carbon atom. The 20 different R groups give amino acid individual characteristics. 
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what distinguishes amino acids