The PKa's of the Side Chain Group and the α-Carboxyl

question 13

Multiple Choice

The pKa's of the side chain group and the α-carboxyl group of glutamate are 4.1 and 2.1,respectively.Which statement accounts for this difference?

• A)The side chain has more possible resonance structures.
• B)The α-carboxyl group has less steric hindrance and is therefore ionized more easily.
• C)The side chain is a different functional group than the α-carboxyl group.
• D)The α-carboxyl group is closer to the α-amino group than the side chain is.

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Definitions:

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