Chemical/functional groups & isomers

Hydroxyl group

polar, forms hydrogen bonds; "alcohol"

Carbonyl group

w/ ketone = ketoses
w/o ketone = aldoses
when within carbon skeleton, ketone
when at end of carbon skeleton, aldehyde

Carboxyl group

acts as acid, can donate H+; carboxylic acid or organic acid

Amino group

acts as base, can accept H+; amine

Sulfhydryl group

2 of them can react forming a stabilizing structure

Phosphate group

contributes negative charge (1- when inside chain, 2- when on end); organic phosphate

Methyl group

affects the expression of genes when bonded to DNA or proteins that bind to DNA; affects the shape and function of sex hormones

structural isomers

differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms

cis-trans isomers or geometric isomers

carbons have covalent bonds to the same atoms, but differ in their spatial arrangement due to the inflexibility of double bonds

enantiomers

isomers that are mirror images of each other and that differ in shape due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon, one that is attached to four different atoms or groups of atoms (left-handed vs right-handed isomers)