Lysine

• L-Lysine is a basic, genetically coded amino acid.
• It is dietarily essential (indispensable) for animals & humans.
• Thus, the "lysine contingency" referred to in Jurassic Park was technically flawed. Dinosaurs would have required dietary sources of lysine which they would have obtained from either plant proteins (herbivorous dinosaurs) or animal proteins (carnivorous dinosaurs).

Symbol / Abbreviation

lys

Molecular formula

C₆H₁₄N₂O₂

Structural formula

                    H
                    |
 H2N-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-C-COOH
                    |
                    NH2
 

Molecular weight

146.19

pK1 a-COOH	pK2 a-NH3	pKa R-group
2.2	9.2	10.8

Isoelectric point (pH)

9.59

CAS Registry Number

39665-12-8