Draw the general structure of an amino acid. - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 5 - 2018 - Paper 1

The general structure of an amino acid consists of a central carbon atom (C) bonded to four different groups:

1. An amino group ($NH_2$)
2. A carboxyl group ($COOH$)
3. A hydrogen atom ($H$)
4. A variable R group (side chain) that determines the specific properties of the amino acid.

This can be depicted as:

      H
      |
NH2 - C - COOH
      |
      R

This representation includes the key functional groups that characterize amino acids.