Which of the following type of biomolecules upon ionization form zwitter ions

Options

A. Carbohydrates
B. Nucleic acids
C. Amino acids
D. Vitamins

Answer

To solve the question "Which of the following types of biomolecules upon ionization form zwitter ions?", we will analyze the options provided: carbohydrates, nucleic acids, amino acids, and vitamins.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Zwitter Ions**:
- A zwitter ion is a molecule that has both a positive and a negative charge, but is overall electrically neutral. This means that within the same molecule, there are functional groups that can donate protons (H⁺) and those that can accept protons.

2. **Analyzing the Options**:
- **Carbohydrates**:
- Carbohydrates are generally neutral molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They do not have ionizable groups that would lead to the formation of zwitter ions. Therefore, carbohydrates do not form zwitter ions.

- **Nucleic Acids**:
- Nucleic acids (like DNA and RNA) primarily carry a negative charge due to the phosphate groups in their backbone. They do not possess a positive charge, hence they cannot form zwitter ions.

- **Amino Acids**:
- Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and contain both an amino group (-NH₂) and a carboxyl group (-COOH). Upon ionization, the carboxyl group can lose a proton (becoming negatively charged), while the amino group can gain a proton (becoming positively charged). This results in the formation of zwitter ions, making amino acids the correct answer.

- **Vitamins**:
- Vitamins are a diverse group of organic compounds, and while some may have charged functional groups, many vitamins are neutral and do not form zwitter ions. Therefore, they are also not the correct answer.

3. **Conclusion**:
- Based on the analysis, the biomolecule that forms zwitter ions upon ionization is **amino acids**.

### Final Answer:
**Amino acids** are the biomolecules that upon ionization form zwitter ions.