10 Surprising Facts About Amino Acids You Probably Didn’t Know

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and play crucial roles in biological processes. While most people know the basics, here are some lesser-known facts about these fascinating molecules.

1. Amino Acids Can Form in Space

Scientists have detected amino acids in meteorites, suggesting they may have played a role in the origin of life on Earth. The Murchison meteorite, which fell in Australia in 1969. contained over 70 different amino acids, including some not found on Earth (1).

2. Some Amino Acids Glow Under UV Light

Certain amino acids, like tryptophan and tyrosine, fluoresce under ultraviolet light. This property is used in biochemistry to study protein structures (2).

3. Not All Amino Acids Are Left-Handed

Life on Earth uses L-amino acids (left-handed), but in space and lab experiments, D-amino acids (right-handed) also form. Some bacteria use D-amino acids in their cell walls (3).

4. One Amino Acid Can Cause a Deadly Disease

A single mutation replacing glutamic acid with valine in hemoglobin causes sickle cell anemia, a serious blood disorder (4).

5. Amino Acids Influence Taste

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), derived from glutamic acid, enhances umami flavor. Meanwhile, glycine tastes sweet, and leucine is slightly bitter (5).

Conclusion

Amino acids are more than just protein components—they exist in space, fluoresce, influence taste, and even cause diseases when mutated. Their versatility makes them essential to life as we know it.

References

Kvenvolden, K. et al. (1970). "Evidence for extraterrestrial amino-acids and hydrocarbons in the Murchison meteorite." Nature.

Lakowicz, J. R. (2006). Principles of Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Springer.

Friedman, M. (1999). "Chemistry, nutrition, and microbiology of D-amino acids." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Ingram, V. M. (1956). "A specific chemical difference between the globins of normal human and sickle-cell anaemia haemoglobin." Nature.

Kurihara, K. (2015). "Umami the Fifth Basic Taste: History of Studies on Receptor Mechanisms." Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin.