The natural amino acids are a set of 20 alpha-amino acids that are directly encoded by the genetic code and are the building blocks of proteins in living organisms.
Here's a list of these 20 amino acids:
- Alanine (Ala)
- Arginine (Arg)
- Asparagine (Asn)
- Aspartic acid (Asp)
- Cysteine (Cys)
- Glutamic acid (Glu)
- Glutamine (Gln)
- Glycine (Gly)
- Histidine (His)
- Isoleucine (Ile)
- Leucine (Leu)
- Lysine (Lys)
- Methionine (Met)
- Phenylalanine (Phe)
- Proline (Pro)
- Serine (Ser)
- Threonine (Thr)
- Tryptophan (Trp)
- Tyrosine (Tyr)
- Valine (Val)
It's important to note that while there are more than 500 amino acids found in nature, these 20 are the ones directly incorporated into proteins during translation based on the mRNA sequence. Some of these are also classified as "essential amino acids," meaning they cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be obtained through diet. These include: Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine.
