JEE Main · 2019 · Shift-IImediumBIO-114

The correct structure of histidine in a strongly acidic solution (pH=2) is:

Biomolecules · Class 12 · JEE Main Previous Year Question

Question

The correct structure of histidine in a strongly acidic solution (pH=2\text{pH}=2) is: image

Options
  1. a

    Option a

  2. b

    Option b

  3. c

    Option c

  4. d

    Option d

Correct Answerc

Option c

Detailed Solution

Step 1: Understanding Histidine's Groups — Histidine consists of a carboxyl group, an amino group, and an imidazole ring side chain.

Step 2: Protonation at pH 2 — At highly acidic pH levels (textpHapprox2\\text{pH} \\approx 2): (1) The amino group is protonated (\ceNH3+\ce{-NH3^+}), (2) The imidazole ring's basic nitrogen is protonated, and (3) The carboxyl group exists as \ceCOOH\ce{-COOH}.

Step 3: Conclusion — Structure (c) correctly displays the fully protonated form where both amino and imidazole nitrogens carry positive charges. Correct option is (c).

Remember: The pKa\text{p}K_a of the histidine side chain imidazole group is approximately 6.0.

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