Question

Draw the structures of the dipeptides that can be formed from the reaction between the amino acids glycine and alanine.

Short answer

The two possible dipeptides that can be formed from Glycine and Alanine are Ala-Gly and Gly-Ala.

Step-by-step solution

Structure of Amino Acids

Glycine (Gly) is the simplest amino acid with a hydrogen as its side chain. Alanine (Ala), has a methyl group as its side chain. Both amino acids have a central carbon (also called the alpha carbon), connected to an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH), and their respective side chains.

Peptide Bond Formation

When two amino acids form a dipeptide, they undergo a condensation reaction. This is when the amino group of one amino acid reacts with the carboxyl group of another, releasing a molecule of water (H2O) and forming a peptide bond.

Formation of Ala-Gly

The peptide bond is formed between the carboxyl group of Alanine (Ala) and the amino group of Glycine (Gly). This results in the dipeptide Ala-Gly.

Formation of Gly-Ala

Similarly, the peptide bond can also be formed between the carboxyl group of Glycine (Gly) and the amino group of Alanine (Ala), resulting in the dipeptide Gly-Ala.