Damanhour University Faculty of Pharmacy

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Course Name Drug Design

Course Code PC 807

Amino acids

Student Name: Omnia Ashraf Hassan

Student ID: 19054
Level: four
Under Supervision: Dr. mahmoud

Submission: 20/3/2023
 Medicinal Chemistry I (PC504)

Classification of amino acids according to...Polarity

Polar amino acids:

Arginine (Arg) Asparagine (Asn) Asparate (Asp)
Glutamine (Gln) Glutamate (Glu) Histidine (His)
Lysine (Lys) Serine (Ser) Threonine (Thr)
Tyrosine (Tyr)

Non-polar amino acids:

Alanine (Ala) Glycine (Gly) Isoleucine (Ile)
Leucine (Leu) Methionine (Met) Phenylalanine
(Phe)
Proline (Pro) Tryptophan (Trp) Valine (Val)
Cysteine (Cys)

Acidity and basicity

There are three amino acids that have basic side chains at neutral pH. These are
arginine (Arg), lysine (Lys), and histidine (His). Their side chains contain nitrogen
and resemble ammonia, which is a base. Their pKa's are high enough that they tend to
bind protons, gaining a positive charge in the process.

Two amino acids have acidic side chains at neutral ph. These are aspartic acid or
aspartate (Asp) and glutamic acid or glutamate (Glu). Their side chains have
carboxylic acid groups whose pKa's are low enough to lose protons, becoming
negatively charged in the process.

1
 Medicinal Chemistry I (PC504)

Types of amino acids:

1. Amino acids with electrically charged side chains (Positive –Negative)

2. Polar Amino Acids
3. Non-Polar Amino Acids

Amino Acid with Positively charged R groups: (ionic bonds)

Amino Acid with Negatively charged R groups (ionic bonds)

2
 Medicinal Chemistry I (PC504)

Amino Acid with Nonpolar groups: (hydrophobic bonds)

Amino Acid with polar uncharged groups: (hydrogen bonds)