The pH at which an amino acid exists mainly as a zwitterion and does not migrate in an electric field is called its

Correct answer: B. isoelectric point

  • A. neutral point
  • B. isoelectric point
  • C. equivalence point
  • D. melting point

Explanation

At the isoelectric point the positive and negative charges within the molecule exactly balance, so the net charge is zero and the amino acid is at its least soluble and does not move towards either electrode. The value differs for each amino acid according to its side chain. Electrophoresis separates amino acids and proteins by exploiting these differences.

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About Classification of Proteins

Proteins are classified by composition as simple, conjugated and derived proteins, and by shape as fibrous or globular proteins. The topic relates these classes to examples such as albumin, keratin, collagen, haemoglobin and casein, while distinguishing structural proteins from proteins with transport, catalytic or regulatory roles.

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