Question

What is an activated amino acid?

Short answer

An activated amino acid is an amino acid that has been attached to a tRNA molecule, allowing it to participate in protein synthesis.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the basic concept of amino acids

Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins. They are essential molecules that perform a variety of functions in the body. There are 20 standard amino acids, all of which share a common structure, differing only in the variable R-group.

Define the term 'Activated Amino Acid'

An activated amino acid is an amino acid that has been attached to a transfer RNA (tRNA) molecule through the process of 'charging' or 'aminoacylation'. This is facilitated by an enzyme known as aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. This process ensures the amino acid can participate in protein synthesis.

Discuss the importance of activated amino acids

Activated amino acids are important because they allow for the process of protein synthesis, which is critical to all cells. Protein synthesis involves the assembly of amino acids into protein chains. It requires that each amino acid is first activated and then placed in the correct sequence along the mRNA template, based on codon-anticodon pairing.