
by Oliver Ruatti
If proteins are the words with which the body writes its story-enzymes, hormones, receptors, muscles, skin-then amino acids are the letters of the alphabet with which these words are constructed.
And just as with any language, knowing the alphabet gives you the power to read, understand, optimize and even modify life itself.
There are only twenty amino acids, but from these twenty building blocks comes everything from muscle structure, nerve transmission, immunity, metabolism, and mood.
1. The Basics to Know
Each amino acid is a small molecule made with a common skeleton:
- an amine group (-NH₂),
- a carboxyl group (-COOH) and
- A central carbon atom.
But what makes it unique is the side group (also called side chain), which determines its chemical and biological personality.
Each amino acid has a name
(such as leucine), but also a 3-letter abbreviated code (e.g., Leu) and a 1-letter one (e.g., L for Leucine) to further abbreviate.
This is because, in our DNA, proteins are written as very long "words" composed of these letters.
A protein like hemoglobin, for example, is a chain of more than 140 amino acids, each represented by a letter: like a word that tells a precise function: transporting oxygen.
Example with oxytocin:
- It is a hormone composed of 9 amino acids.
- 3-letter code: Cys - Tyr - Ile - Gln - Asn - Cys - Pro - Leu - Gly
- 1-letter code: CYIQNCPLG
(Because some amino acids have identical initial letters, they are sometimes encoded by letters that have nothing to do with the name. Ex:
- Leucine=Leu=L;
- Lysine=Lys=K, since L encodes Leucine)
Oxytocin regulates functions such as:
- social bond
- uterine contraction and lactation
- relaxation, empathy, sense of connection
Each letter represents an amino acid. Changing even one can mean completely losing the biological function of the molecule.
2. Chemical Classes: Each Amino Acid Has a "Character."
Amino acids behave differently depending on the chemistry of their side group. We can group them into functional categories:
🔴 Aliphatics (hydrophobic)
Alanine, Glycine, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine → They escape water. They are critical in stabilizing the inner "core" of proteins, contributing to the three-dimensional structure.
🟢 Aromatics
Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine→ Contain aromatic rings capable of absorbing ultraviolet light. They participate in protein folding and specific interactions.
🟠 Acidic (negatively charged)
Aspartate (aspartic acid), Glutamate (glutamic acid)→ Negatively charged at physiological pH. Often found in the active sites of enzymes, where they catalyze vital reactions.
🔵 Basics (positive charge)
Lysine, Arginine, Histidine→ Positively charged. They are involved in DNA binding and gene regulation. Histidine, in particular, plays a key role in enzyme active sites.
💗 With hydroxyl groups
Serine, Threonine→ They contain an -OH group. They are often phosphorylated, that is, modified in response to cellular signals (signaling).
🟡 With sulfur
Cysteine, Methionine→ Cysteine can form disulfide bridges, actual molecular "hooks" that hold proteins together. Methionine is often the first amino acid from which a protein is built.
🔷 Amides (polar but neutral)
Asparagine, Glutamine→ They have no charge, but they are polar: excellent at creating hydrogen bonds, which help the protein interact with its environment.
Example: cysteine acts like a piece of Velcro: it can "glue" two parts of a protein together, making it more stable and strong.
3. Essential Amino Acids: The Ones You Need to Eat.
Among the 20 amino acids, 8 are essential for the human adult.
This means that we cannot synthesize them on our own: we have to take them in through diet.
Essential amino acids:
- Leucine
- Isoleucine
- Valina
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
Some consider Histidine to be essential: it is in children; in adults it becomes a conditionally essential amino acid in these situations: Acute or chronic infections, trauma, surgery or burns, chronic inflammatory diseases, intense or prolonged physical activity, anemia or increased red blood cell production, chronic stress or mental fatigue, hypoprotein or vegetarian diets, prolonged fasting or severe caloric restriction, aging, high oxidative stress conditions.
These amino acids are found in optimal amounts in complete animal protein sources (such as eggs, meat, fish), but can also be combined from plant sources, albeit these with lower biological value.
Example: tryptophan is essential because it is used to produce serotonin, the neurotransmitter of good mood. If you don't get it with food, you can't produce serotonin-and your mental balance suffers.
One mistake can change everything
Hemoglobin is a protein consisting of four chains: two alpha and two beta chains. Each beta chain is 146 amino acids long.
In sickle cell anemia, a point mutation occurs in the sixth position of the beta chain:
👉 instead of glutamic acid (negatively charged and hydrophilic), a valine (nonpolar, hydrophobic) is inserted.
This small mistake, just one "wrong letter "in the protein code causes a structural catastrophe: the mutated hemoglobins tend to aggregate with each other, deforming the red blood cell into a "sickle" shape.
The result?
Stiff red blood cells, which get stuck in capillaries, reduce oxygenation, cause pain, ischemia, and permanent organ damage.
📌 One amino acid changed.
📌 One wrong letter out of 146.
📌 A life-saving cell becomes life-threatening.
20 Letters to Write l'Human
Biology created life with an alphabet of 20 amino acids.
Yet with so little, he wrote enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, antibodies, muscles, skin, hair, thoughts.
Understanding amino acids is not just a matter of biochemistry: it is learning to read the grammar you are made with.
The next time you eat a steak, an egg, or a handful of MAP, remember: you're not just feeding your muscles.
You are supplying your body with the letters with which it can continue to write your story.
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- Human amino acid profile
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If amino acids are the letters of the alphabet of life...
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