The amino acids glutamine and glutamic acid are shown in Figure 2-38.They differ only in the structure of part of their side chains (circled).At pH₇, what type of interactions are possible for glutamic acid but not for glutamine? Figure 2-38

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Glutamic acid has a carboxyl group (-COOH) in its side chain, which can become negatively charged at the physiological pH of 7.4. This allows for the possibility of forming ionic bonds with positively charged groups on other molecules or proteins. Glutamine, on the other hand, has an amide group (-CONH2) in its side chain, which cannot ionize under physiological conditions and therefore cannot form ionic bonds.

The Amino Acids Glutamine and Glutamic Acid Are Shown in Figure