BASEBiological Archive
for Science & Education
Search
HomeExplorePhenylalanine
Molecule

Phenylalanine

L-phenylalanine

Phenylalanine has a bulky aromatic side chain that is usually hydrophobic inside a folded protein.

Overview

EXPLORE BY LEVEL

Phenylalanine has a bulky aromatic side chain that is usually hydrophobic inside a folded protein.

Quick Facts

AT A GLANCE
One-letter codeF
Three-letter codePhe
Chemical formulaC₉H₁₁NO₂
Side chainBenzyl aromatic ring
Show 3 more facts
Side-chain chemistryNonpolar; aromatic
Human dietary contextEssential in the human diet
Protein-building setOne of the 20 standard protein-building amino acids

Follow the Connections

See how Phenylalanine links to other biological records.

Open network
ConceptAmino AcidsincludesProcessTranslationincorporated during
All 2 Structured Connections
Amino Acids · ConceptINCLUDES →Phenylalanine · Molecule
Phenylalanine · MoleculeINCORPORATED DURING →Translation · Process

Recommended Reading

Trusted references for learning more about Phenylalanine.

textbookChemical Components of a CellMolecular Biology of the Cell · NCBI Bookshelf textbookFrom RNA to proteinMolecular Biology of the Cell · NCBI Bookshelf textbookBiochemistry · Essential Amino AcidsNCBI Bookshelf · StatPearls
Research Claims

Phenylalanine is a standard amino acid commonly used to build proteins.

Phenylalanine uses the residue codes Phe and F.

Phenylalanine is classified as essential in the usual human diet.