Lysine
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Amino Acids
- Serine
- Asparagine
- Alanine
- Valine
- Leucine
- Isoleucine
- Phenylalanine
- Tryptophan
- Methionine
- Proline
- Glycine
- Threonine
- Cysteine
- Tyrosine
- Glutamine
- Aspartate
- Glutamate
- Histidine
- Lysine
- Arginine
Summary
Lysine is one of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins in our body. It is abbreviated to the 3-letters Lys and the 1-letter K. Lysine’s R-group consists of an amino group at the end of a long, 4-carbon chain. As a result, lysine is a polar, hydrophilic amino acid. The nitrogen in the amino group also acts as a proton acceptor, making lysine a basic, positively charged amino acid at physiological pH.
Key Points
- Lysine
- Abbreviations
- Lys, K
- Chemical Structure
- R-group: -CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-NH2
- Polarity
- Polar (water soluble/hydrophilic)
- Acidity/Basicity
- Basic
- pKa = 10.5 (rounded)
- Charge at pH 7
- Positive (+)
- Abbreviations
