DL-Alanine.

A determination of the structure of the title compound, C3H7NO2, leads to an accurate description of its molecular dimensions and crystal packing. As in the structure of the L-isomer, the molecules aggregate into alternating layers, each consisting of only one type of isomer. The molecules in each layer are interconnected through head-to-tail sequences generated by a cell translation and a 2(1) screw axis. Adjacent layers are interconnected by head-to-tail sequences generated by a glide plane.