In a solution of high pH, all of the acidic and basic sites in an amino acid are

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In a solution of high pH, the environment is basic and therefore there are excess hydroxide ions (OH-) present. These hydroxide ions will react with the protons (H+) on the acidic functional groups of amino acids, causing them to become deprotonated. Therefore, in a high pH solution, all of the acidic sites on an amino acid will be deprotonated, resulting in a net negative charge for the molecule. The basic sites on the other hand, will remain protonated, since they do not possess any protons to lose in the presence of hydroxide ions.

In a Solution of High PH, All of the Acidic