MadSci Network: Biochemistry |
when a carbon 14 (combing power 4) which is carbon 2 in an amino acid >decays to a nitrogen atom (combing power 3) how will this affect the amino >acid, protien and organism? What i mean is if an organism absorbs a molecule of carbon isotope 14 and converts it into the carbon at the center of an amino acid: H NH2 - C(14) - COOH H when a carbon 14 decays, it releases a beta particle and turns into a Nitrogen 14 molecule. as the bonding propeties of nitrogen are diferent to those of carbon, I assume this will affect the amino acid, and therefore the protien as a whole. What I would like to know is how the amino acid is affected.
Re: how will the decay of a carbon 14 in a amino acid affect the organism?
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