View source for Glycine

<applet size="300" frame="true" caption="Glycine is the most simple amino acid." color="white" align="right" scene='Glycine/Emartz_ballandstick/1' />

Glycine is the simplest [[amino acid]]. It's sidechain (sometimes called the ''R-group'') is one hydrogen atom. Because it has a hydrogen atom as its sidechain, glycine is the only achiral amino acid. Because it lacks a bulky sidechain, glycine has a high degree of rotational freedom and is frequently found in [[Turns in Proteins|turns]] along with [[proline]].

==Representations==
*The <scene name='Glycine/Emartz_ballandstick/1'>ball and stick</scene> (also called "ball and spoke") representation of glycine shows atoms and covalent bonds, but does not show the true size and shape of the molecule. 
*The <scene name='Glycine/Emartz_spacefill/1'>spacefilling</scene> representation shows size (atoms at their [[van der Waals radii]]) and shape but hides structure behind the surface.
* The <scene name='Glycine/Emartz_stick/1'>stick</scene> representation shows only bonds, and is better for seeing through layers of a large molecule. Even better for proteins are [[Backbone representations|schematic backbone representations]], including [[Backbone representations|ribbon or cartoon representations]].
*In this view, the atoms that would, in a [[Chain|polypeptide chain]], become part of the <scene name='Glycine/Emartz_backbone/1'>peptide backbone (main chain)</scene> are highlighted. See also [[Backbone_representations#Protein_Main_Chain|Protein Main Chain]].

==See Also==
*[[Amino_Acids#Glycine|Glycine at Amino Acids]].