Molecules of Life: Introduction

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to organic molecules and functional groups.

Carbon

An element that has 4 spare spaces on its outer orbit, allowing it to form four covalent bonds.

Tetravalent

Refers to elements like carbon that can form four covalent bonds.

Hydrocarbons

The simplest organic molecules composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen.

Isomers

Compounds that have the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements.

Structural isomers

Isomers that differ in the covalent arrangements of the atoms.

Cis-trans isomers

Isomers that have the same covalent partners but differ in spatial arrangement.

Enantiomers

Mirror images of each other that differ in spatial arrangement around an asymmetric carbon.

Hydroxyl group

A functional group -OH, characteristic of alcohols.

Carbonyl group

A functional group consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom (C=O). It can be found in ketones and aldehydes.

Carboxyl group

A functional group that has acidic properties, consisting of -COOH.

Amino group

A functional group that acts as a base and can pick up an H+ from the surrounding solution, represented as -NH2.

Sulfhydryl group

A functional group -SH, important in stabilizing protein structure through cross-linking.

Phosphate group

A functional group -OPO3, plays a significant role in energy transfer and is a component of nucleotides.

Methyl group

A functional group -CH3, that can affect gene expression.