What is cysteine?
Q: What is cysteine?
A: Cysteine is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCH(NH2)CH2SH.
Q: Is cysteine an essential amino acid?
A: Cysteine is a semi-essential amino acid, which means that humans can make it.
Q: What are the codons that code for cysteine?
A: The codons UGU and UGC code for cysteine.
Q: What role does the thiol side chain in cysteine play?
A: The thiol side chain in cysteine often does enzyme reactions as a nucleophile.
Q: What happens when the thiol in cysteine oxidizes?
A: The thiol in cysteine oxidizes to give the disulfide derivative cystine, which is important in many protein structures.
Q: What is the E-number for cysteine when used as a food additive?
A: When used as a food additive, cysteine has the E-number E920.
Q: Is cysteine naturally found in foods?
A: Cysteine is naturally found in many foods, including meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
