Glycine and its derivatives such as phenyl glycine and alanine form well-ordered monolayers of the corresponding anion on Cu(110). The unit cells reflect both the strong adsorbate-substrate interaction and the hydrogen bonding interactions between adsorbed species. In the case of the chiral amino acids studied, this leads to ordered domains of the two isomers which are distinguishable. Glycine undergoes several orientational changes during the build up of the ordered monolayer and is then able to form a stable bilayer. Such a bilayer is not formed in the case of phenyl glycine or alanine demonstrating the importance of optimal hydrogen bonding in stabilising the bilayer. Adsorption of water on the glycine covered copper surface drives a re-orientation of the molecule which we also relate to the importance of hydrogen bonding between the co-adsorbed species.