Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture on carbon and the molecular diversity of life.

Organic Chemistry

The study of carbon-containing organic compounds.

Biological Diversity

Results from carbon's ability to form a huge number of molecules with particular shapes and properties.

Isomers

Compounds that have the same numbers of atoms of the same elements but different structures and thus different properties.

Structural Isomers

Isomers that differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms.

Cis-Trans Isomers

Isomers that differ in spatial arrangements due to the inflexibility of double bonds.

Enantiomers

Isomers that are mirror images of each other and differ in shape due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon.

Functional Groups

Chemical groups that are directly involved in chemical reactions.

Hydrophilic Groups

Functional groups that increase the solubility of organic compounds in water.

Dehydration Synthesis

The process by which two molecules are bonded together by the removal of a water molecule.

Polysaccharides

Compounds formed by long chains of repeating units called polymers, often formed from sugar molecules.

Amino Acids

The structural units for proteins, organisms use 20 different amino acids to make their proteins.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

A molecule that can react with water to form ADP and inorganic phosphate, releasing energy for the cell.