Amino acid. Uncharged, polar at neutral pH. Identical in structure to aspartic acid, but with an amino group in place of the carboxylic acid.

Formula: C₄H₈N₂O₃
Molecular Weight: 132.12
Three-letter code: Asn
One-letter code: N

A nonessential amino acid which is responsible for the synthesis of glycoproteins. Asparagine is a fairly significant amino acid, composing an average of 4.4 percent of most proteins.

structural formula for asparagine:

                 H   H
                  \ /
     O         H   N    O -- H
      \\        \ /    / 
       C -- C -- C -- C
      /    / \         \\      asparagine
H -- N    H   H         O      (C4H8N2O3)
    /
   H

As*par"a*gine (#), n. [Cf. F. asparagine.] Chem.

A white, nitrogenous, crystallizable substance, C4H8N2O3+H2O, found in many plants, and first obtained from asparagus. It is believed to aid in the disposition of nitrogenous matter throughout the plant; -- called also altheine.

 

© Webster 1913.