Use and description |
Phenylalanine is an essential α-amino acid with the formula C₉H₁₁NO₂. It can be viewed as a benzyl group substituted for the methyl group of alanine, or a phenyl group in place of a terminal hydrogen of alanine. This essential amino acid is classified as neutral, and nonpolar because of the inert and hydrophobic nature of the benzyl side chain. The -isomer is used to biochemically form proteins coded for by DNA. Phenylalanine is a precursor for tyrosine, the monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and the skin pigment melanin. It is encoded by the codons UUU and UUC. |
Physical Characters and Index |
English name: L-Phenylalanine CAS no. : 63-91-2 Molecular formula: C9H11NO2 Molecular weight: 165.19 EINECS no. : 200-568-1 |