Amino acids are organic molecules that are characterized by the presence of an amino group and a carboxyl group attached to a central carbon atom, along with a side chain. This side chain is what gives each amino acid its unique properties.
Amino acids are linked together through a process called peptide bond formation, in which the carboxyl group of one amino acid reacts with the amino group of another amino acid, creating a covalent bond between the two amino acids and realising a molecule of water.