Synonyms
Amino acid geochronology; Amino acid racemization; Aminostratigraphy
Definitions
Amino acid racemization: a spontaneous reaction describing the interconversion between the chiral forms of an amino acid.
Chiral: describes molecules that may exist as mirror images of themselves that are nonsuperimposable; such molecules exhibit chirality.
Enantiomer: one of a pair of nonsuperimposable mirror images; also called an optical isomer.
Stereoisomer: molecules that possess the same elemental composition but different three-dimensional arrangements of atoms.
Diastereomer: a stereoisomer that is not a mirror image, that is, not an enantiomer.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They are found in all living tissues and can be preserved in fossil biominerals such as bone, teeth, and shells. The 20 naturally occurring amino acids all have a central carbon atom (the α-C) with four attached groups: an amino group (NH3), a carboxylic acid group (COOH), hydrogen (H), and a side...
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Bibliography
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Penkman, K. (2017). Amino Acid Racemization. In: Gilbert, A.S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4409-0_38
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