JEE Challenger
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Total Number of Basic Groups in Lysine Form

The total number of basic groups in the following form of lysine is

Diagram 0

Official Numerical Answer2

Step-by-Step Solution

To determine the total number of basic groups in the given form of lysine, we analyze the structure provided:

H3N⊕−CH2−CH2−CH2−CH2−CH∣NH2−COO⊖\overset{\oplus}{\text{H}_3\text{N}}-\text{CH}_2-\text{CH}_2-\text{CH}_2-\text{CH}_2-\underset{\substack{|\text{NH}_2}}{\text{CH}}-\text{C}\text{O}\text{O}^\ominus

A basic group, according to the Brønsted-Lowry definition, is a chemical species capable of accepting a proton (H+\text{H}^+) due to the presence of an available lone pair of electrons or a negative charge.

Let's evaluate each functional group present in the structure:

  1. Unprotonated α\alpha-amino group (−NH2-\text{NH}_2):
    The nitrogen atom has a lone pair of electrons that can readily accept a proton to form −NH3+-\text{NH}_3^+. Therefore, it acts as a basic group.

  2. Carboxylate anion (−COO⊖-\text{COO}^\ominus):
    The carboxylate group possesses a negative charge and can accept a proton to convert into a neutral carboxylic acid group (−COOH-\text{COOH}). Therefore, it acts as a basic group.

  3. Protonated ϵ\epsilon-amino group (−H3N⊕-\overset{\oplus}{\text{H}_3\text{N}}):
    This group is already protonated and carries a positive charge without any available lone pair for accepting another proton. Thus, it acts as an acidic group (proton donor), not a basic group.

Thus, the total number of basic groups in the given form of lysine is 22 (−NH2-\text{NH}_2 and −COO⊖-\text{COO}^\ominus).