Amino Acid Chromatography Essay

chromatography is meant those process which allow the resolution of mixtures by effecting separation of some or all their components in concentrated zone on or in phase different from those in which they are originally present , irrespective of the nature of the force or forces causing the substances to remove from one phase to another . ’’ (Williams et al, 1952)

In this chromatography consists in applying a small drop of solution that is containing the substances to be separated to a strip of filter / chromatography paper short distances from one end(Figure 2) . The drop is allowed to dry , and the end of the paper nearest to the spots are placed in the developing solution , usually a water-containing organic solvent , so that the solvent flows past “spot” by capillary action and on down the length of the paper( Figure 1, 3) (Block, Durrum and

This method has been specially valuable for the separation of closely related amino acids. The mixture is dissolved in a fluid called mobile phase , which carries it through the structure holding another material called the stationary phase .

The various amino acids travel at different speed , causing them to separate based on its R group .

Amino acid

Amino acid play central roles as building blocks of proteins and as intermediates in metabolisms . The 20 amino acids are found within proteins convey a vast array of chemical versatility (The Biology Project.2000).All amino acids found in proteins have a basic structure , different only in the structure of the R group or the side chain(Figure).

In this basic structure amino acid (Figure 4 ) is containing a central C atom , in sides a H atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group and the R group. The amino acid can be recognized based on this R group . The simplest amino acid is Glycine and it is containing a H atom as its R group