How do i explainn what a R group is in terms of chemical structure….?
An R-Group itself has no distinct chemical structure. It is simply a generic label representing the side chain of an amino acid. It is a variable and the determines physical and chemical characteristics of a particular amino acid. An R-Group can be nonpolar, polar, or electrically charged (ionic). Here’s a link to the 20 standard amino acids – the red box holds the variable R-Group in each amino acid shown. http://trc.ucdavis.edu/biosci10v/bis10v/week2/2webimages/ch5-amino-acids.
