Consider the structure of the amino acid aspartic acid. Indicate the hybridization about each interior atom.

Key Concepts

Hybridization

Hybridization is the concept in chemistry that describes the mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals. These hybrid orbitals are used to explain the geometry of molecular bonding. For example, in carbon, the mixing of one s and three p orbitals results in four sp3 hybrid orbitals, which are arranged tetrahedrally.

Amino Acid Structure

Amino acids are organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins. Each amino acid has a central carbon atom (the alpha carbon) bonded to an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable R group (side chain). The structure of the amino acid influences its properties and interactions in biological systems.

Interior Atoms in Aspartic Acid

In aspartic acid, the interior atoms include the alpha carbon, the carboxyl carbon, and the nitrogen of the amino group. The hybridization of these atoms determines the geometry of the molecule. For instance, the alpha carbon is typically sp3 hybridized, while the carboxyl carbon is sp2 hybridized due to the presence of a double bond with oxygen.