Beta amino acids

Mattara

What is a beta amino acid and how would a beta amino acid look like?

I know that the beta carbon is the second carbon from the functional group but which group would be where? Can I have an example of a beta amino acid?

Hootenanny

3-aminopropionic acid is an example of a beta amino acid, more commonly know as beta-alanine. As far as I know this is the only naturally occuring beta amino acid and is formed by the degredation of di-peptides.

Mattara

what is the structure formula for that example? How are the functional groups arranged in a beta amino acid?

Hootenanny

Hope this helps.

Mattara

Oh now I get it! There can be another [tex]CH_2[/tex] group in the middle! It helped alot. Thank you.