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| Physical Characters and Index |
English name: L-Phenylalanine
CAS no. : 63-91-2
Molecular formula: C9H11NO2
Molecular weight: 165.19
EINECS no. : 200-568-1 |
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| Use and description |
| Phenylalanine is an essential α-amino acid with the formula C₉H₁₁NO₂. It can be viewed as a benzyl group substituted for the methyl group of alanine, or a phenyl group in place of a terminal hydrogen of alanine. This essential amino acid is classified as neutral, and nonpolar because of the inert and hydrophobic nature of the benzyl side chain. The -isomer is used to biochemically form proteins coded for by DNA. Phenylalanine is a precursor for tyrosine, the monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and the skin pigment melanin. It is encoded by the codons UUU and UUC. |
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