Organic Chemistry and the Origin of Life

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and concepts related to organic chemistry, structure of biological molecules, and the origin of life.

Hydrocarbons

Organic molecules consisting only of hydrogen and carbon.

Isomers

Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures and properties.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction that joins two molecules by removing a water molecule, forming larger compounds.

Polymers

Chain-like molecules made of repeated similar or identical building blocks called monomers.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars that are the fundamental building blocks of carbohydrates.

Disaccharides

Two monosaccharides joined together by glycosidic linkage, formed through dehydration synthesis.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of monosaccharides that serve as storage or structural components in cells.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide found in the exoskeleton of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi.

Cellulose

An unbranched polysaccharide consisting of beta glucose molecules, forming the structural component of plant cell walls.