Aminobutyric Acid

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Aminobutyric Acid

 

an organic compound. Depending on the relative positions of the carboxyl and amino groups, the following isomers are distinguished: α-aminobutyric acid, CH₃CH₂CH(NH₂)COOH; β-aminobutyric acid, CH₃CH(NH₂)CH₂COOH; and γ-aminobutyric acid, NH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂COOH. The aminobutyric acids, crystalline substances with high melting points, are soluble in water and insoluble in ether. The α- and β-aminobutyric acids are optically active. The α- and γ-aminobutyric acids are widely distributed in animal and plant tissues, but β-aminobutyric acid has not been found in organisms.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.