Amino Acids in Solution Contain Both a Negative and Positive

Question

Amino acids in solution contain both a negative and positive charge and thus are termed a(n)
A) anion.
B) cation.
C) acid.
D) base.
E) zwitterion.

Accepted Answer

Amino acids in solution have both a positively charged amino group and a negatively charged carboxyl group, making them amphoteric molecules that can act as both an acid and a base. This results in the formation of a zwitterion, a molecule with a net charge of zero but with separate positive and negative charges within the molecule.