Biochemistry Functional Groups

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Hydroxyl (R—OH)

• AKA: Alcohol

• found on sugars and also on alcohols

• Ex: Ethanol

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Carbonyl (R—C double bond O)

• AKA: Ketone, Aldehyde

• Found in proteins, carbohydrates, and other molecules

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Ketone (Carbonyl)

• If in the middle of a carbon chain called a ketone

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Aldehyde (Carbonyl)

• If on the end of a carbon chain called an aldehyde

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Carboxyl (—COOH)

• AKA: Carboxylic acid, organic acid

• Tends to lose the hydrogen and behaves as an acid so also called a Carboxylic Acid functional group

• Found on amino acids (protein building blocks)

• Also found at the end of fatty acids

• Ex: Acetic acid

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Phosphate (—OPO32-)

• AKA: Organic phosphate

• Phosphorus surrounded by 4 oxygens

• If forms the charges by losing Hydrogen ions so it is considered an acid

• Important part of DNA & ATP

• Ex: Glycerol phosphate

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Amino (—NH2)

• AKA: Amine

• Tends to gain a Hydrogen and form NH3 so it is considered a base

• Found in amino acids

• Ex: Glycine

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Sulfhydryl (—SH)

• AKA: Thiol

• Very important in protein folding where it forms Disulfide bridges between amino acids in a chain

• Ex: Cysteine

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Methyl (—CH3)

• AKA: Methylated compound

• This is a nonpolar functional group

• Nonpolar amino acids containing methyl groups are hydrophobic

• Ex: 5-Methyl cytosine