C5H11NO3
C5H11NO3 is the molecular formula for several chemical compounds, meaning these compounds contain five carbon atoms, eleven hydrogen atoms, one nitrogen atom, and three oxygen atoms. One prominent compound with this formula is 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol, also known as Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane or Tris. Tris is a widely used buffering agent in biochemistry and molecular biology due to its stable pH range, typically between 7.0 and 9.0. It is also employed in certain pharmaceutical preparations and as a component in cosmetics. Another possibility for C5H11NO3 is serine, an amino acid. Serine is one of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids, meaning it is found in proteins. It plays a crucial role in protein structure and function and is involved in various metabolic pathways. Other isomers, or compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements, can also exist, each with potentially distinct chemical and physical properties. The specific properties and applications of a compound with the formula C5H11NO3 depend entirely on how the atoms are arranged to form the molecule.