A
nonessential amino acid which plays an important role in
metabolism for the construction of other amino acids and
biochemicals in the
Krebs cycle.
Biochemicals that are synthesized from aspartic acid include:
structural formula for aspartic acid:
_ _
| H H | --
| \ / |
| O H N O |
| \\ \ / / |
| C -- C -- C -- C | aspartic acid
| / / \ \\ | C4H6NO4-
| O H H O -- H |
|_ _|