Leucine: Condensed Structure, Fischer Projection, Form
Discipline: Chemistry
Type of Paper: Question-Answer
Academic Level: High school
Paper Format: APA
Pages: 2
Words: 550
Question
Leucine is an
essential amino acid with the systematic name 2-amino-3-methylpentanoic acid.
It has pKa1=2.36 and pKa2=9.60
1. Draw the condensed
structure for leucine, and label all chirality centers with an asterisk.
2. Draw a Fischer projection
of L-leucine and label the chirality center(s) as R or S.
3. What is the pI of leucine?
4. Draw the structure of the
predominant form of leucine at pH=1.50
5. Leucine is described as an
essential amino acid. What does this mean?
6. Show how leucine might be
synthesized using the Knowles enantioselective synthesis.
7. Show the alkyl halide you would use to prepare leucine by the amidomalonate method
