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Twenty Amino Acids

There are twenty amino acids required for human life to exist. Adults need nine essential amino acids that they cannot synthesize and must get from food. The other eleven can be produced within our bodies. In addition to the twenty amino acids we show you, there are others found in nature (and some very small amounts in us). These twenty are the biggies for our species and defined as the standard amino acids.

Structure of the amino acid alanine

Alanine

Type: Nonpolar

Structure of the amino acid arginine

Arginine

Type: Ionic

Structure of the amino acid asparagine

Asparagine

Type: Polar

Structure of the amino acid aspartic acid

Aspartic Acid

Type: Ionic

Structure of the amino acid cysteine

Cysteine

Type: Polar

Structure of the amino acid glutamic acid

Glutamic Acid

Type: Ionic

Structure of the amino acid glutamine

Glutamine

Type: Polar

Structure of the amino acid glycine

Glycine

Type: Nonpolar

Structure of the amino acid histidine

Histidine

Type: Ionic

Structure of the amino acid isoleucine

Isoleucine

Type: Nonpolar

Structure of the amino acid leucine

Leucine

Type: Nonpolar

Structure of the amino acid lysine

Lysine

Type: Ionic

Structure of the amino acid methionine

Methionine

Type: Nonpolar

Structure of the amino acid phenylalanine

Phenylalanine

Type: Nonpolar

Structure of the amino acid proline

Proline

Type: Nonpolar

Structure of the amino acid serine

Serine

Type: Polar

Structure of the amino acid threonine

Threonine

Type: Polar

Structure of the amino acid tryptophan

Tryptophan

Type: Nonpolar

Structure of the amino acid tyrosine

Tyrosine

Type: Polar

Structure of the amino acid valine

Valine

Type: Nonpolar


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