Are there any amino acids that you think would make a good buffer at pH=8.0? Why? List them.
Yes there are amino acids which can be used to make a good buffer at the required pH value of 8.
Amino acids are weak acids, which means they have high pKa values. A weak acid can make a buffer system with its conjugate base.
In order to make a buffer, we choose an acid whose pKa value is closest to the desired pH value.
So we want amino acids which have pKa values close to 8.
Following are the amino acids that have a pKa value closer to 8:
Cysteine, with pKa = 8.18
Asparagine, with pKa = 8.80
Cysteine is probably the best choice for this buffer.
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