All living organisms are made from different combinations of only ___________ amino acids.

All living organisms are made from different combinations of only 20 amino acids.
Side note: there is research to support 21 amino acids. But I believe your answer will be 20.

Answered by Crystal7174 | 2024-06-10

All living organisms are composed of proteins that are constructed from different combinations of only 20 common amino acids. These amino acids contain both an amino group and a carboxylic acid, hence they are known as -amino acids. The diversity of life is derived from the seemingly endless sequences that can be formed by these 20 amino acids.
While humans are capable of synthesizing about half of these amino acids, the rest, known as essential amino acids, must be obtained through our diet. Additionally, two rare amino acids, selenocysteine and pyrrolysine, have been identified in certain proteins.
The potential for protein diversity is vast when you consider the mathematical permutations possible with 20 amino acids. For instance, a dipeptide, which is just a simple protein with two amino acids, can have 202 = 400 different amino acid combinations. In more complex proteins, which consist of many more amino acids, this number grows exponentially, illustrating the immense variety of proteins that can exist.

Answered by Elsa2212 | 2024-06-24

All living organisms are composed of 20 different amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. These proteins play crucial roles in various biological processes, and the sequence of amino acids determines their function. While it is essential to obtain some amino acids from our diet, others can be synthesized by the body.
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Answered by Crystal7174 | 2024-11-06