Question

Amino acids are amphoteric in nature. This means that

• A. They behave as a base in acidic medium and as an acid in alkaline medium
• B. They behave as an acid in acidic medium and as a base in alkaline medium
• C. They behave as an acid in acidic medium or alkaline medium
• D. They behave as a base in acidic medium or alkaline medium

Answer 1

The correct option is A They behave as a base in acidic medium and as an acid in alkaline medium

An amino acid has both acidic and basic functional groups as COOH and NH${}_2$ respectively, hence they behave as acids in alkaline medium and bases in acidic medium

So, the correct answer is 'They behave as a base in acidic medium and as an acid in alkaline medium'