What is a beta amino acid and what do they look like?

[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 occurring 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]

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/structureimages/00/MFCD00008200.GIF
Hope this helps.

 

[Mattara]

Oh now I get it! There can be another $$CH_2$$ group in the middle! It helped a lot. Thank you.