Chapter 3: Building Councils

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from Chapter 3 on building councils in organic chemistry and molecular biology.

Organic molecules

Carbon-based molecules that form the building blocks of life.

Compound

A molecule composed of two or more different types of atoms.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of sugar units; examples include starch and glycogen.

Covalent bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.

Tetrahedron

A geometric shape with four triangular faces, representing the arrangement of atoms around carbon.

Isomers

Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements.

Ethanol

A simple alcohol compound; common in beverages like vodka.

Stereoisomers

Isomers that differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms.

Dehydration reaction

A chemical reaction that involves the removal of water to link monomers together.

Hydrolysis

A chemical process that splits molecules by the addition of water.

Monomers

Basic building blocks that bond together to form polymers.

Polymers

Large molecules made up of repeated subunits (monomers) linked together.

Lipids

A group of organic compounds that are hydrophobic, including fats and oils.

Phospholipids

Molecules with hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails, forming cell membranes.

Cholesterol

A lipid that is essential for cell membrane structure and hormone production.

Fatty acids

Long hydrocarbon chains that are key components of lipids.

Hydrophobic

Repelling water; describes the nature of lipids.