Chapter 4: Carbon and Molecular Diversity of Life

Stanley Miller's experiments were significant because he demonstrated that __________.

a variety of simple organic compounds could be spontaneously synthesized from components in Earth's primitive atmosphere

Biologically important chemical groups include all of the following except __________.

water (H₂O)

Which of the following are properties of hydrocarbons?

Hydrophobic, nonpolar, and a good source of stored energy

Pharmaceutical companies are selling close to $200 billion worth of single-enantiomer drugs. Why might it be important to use only one form of an enantiomer?

One enantiomer may provide an effective treatment whereas the other may be ineffective or even toxic.

When a double bond joins two carbon atoms, __________ can form.

cis-trans isomers

What are the six most important chemical elements of life?

Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphate, and sulfur

Structural isomers have __________.

the same molecular formula but different covalent arrangements of their carbon skeletons

Although the structures of the functional groups that are most important to life vary, they share one thing in common: They __________.

all help give each biological molecule its unique properties

Choose the pair of terms that completes this sentence about functional groups in organic chemistry: Carboxyl is to __________ as __________ is to base.

acid; amino

Which element is always associated with organic chemistry?

Carbon

What is ATP's importance in the cell?

ATP stores the potential to react with water, thereby removing a phosphate group and releasing energy for cellular processes.

Choose the term that correctly describes the relationship between these two sugar molecules:

Structural isomers

Which of the following molecules is a weak acid?

R-COOH

Inorganic carbon such as CO₂ differs from organic carbon because __________.

organic carbon always has a hydrogen atom covalently attached to it

Molecules that contain only carbon and hydrogen are __________.

called hydrocarbons

The carbon atom is tetravalent; this means that __________.

a carbon atom can complete its valence shell by forming four covalent bonds

In the pharmaceutical industry, two enantiomers of a drug __________.

may not be equally effective

The carbon skeleton can vary in all of the following except __________.

lacking hydrogen atoms

In Miller’s 1953 laboratory experiment, __________.

abiotic compounds cycled through the apparatus and were sampled for organic compounds

Which chemical group is most likely to be responsible for an organic molecule behaving as a base?

Amino

The chemical group that helps stabilize protein structure is the __________.

sulfhydryl group (-SH)

Chemical groups are significant because __________.

they contribute to the molecular shape of a molecule and its unique properties

Enantiomers are __________.

mirror-image isomers of a molecule

Carbon’s atomic number is 6. This means that it has __________ electrons. After completing the first energy level, carbon has __________ valence electrons and can form __________ bonds.

6; 4; 4

The chemical group that acts as an acid is the __________.

carboxyl group (-COOH)

Which functional group is not present in this molecule?

Sulfhydryl

Which of the following is found in all amino acids?

Both -COOH and -NH₂

When three phosphate groups are covalently attached to adenosine, __________ is formed.

ATP

The chemical group that is involved in regulating DNA is the __________.

methyl group (-CH₃)

Which of the following molecules is a weak base?

R-NH₂

________ is the study of compound that contain carbon

Organic chemistry

Stanley Miller’s classic experiment_________________

demonstrated the abiotic synthesis of organic compounds

Major elements of life

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur

_____________________ determines the kinds and number of bonds an atom will form with other atoms

The number of unpaired electrons in the valence shell of an atom is generally equal to its ______.

Four ways that carbon skeletons can vary?

1: Carbon Skeletons vary in length

2: Skeletons may be unbranched or branched

3: The skeleton may have double bonds, which can vary in location

4: Some carbon skeletons are arranged in rings

_______________ are organic molecules consisting of only carbon and hydrogen

Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons can undergo reactions that _________

release a large amount of energy

________ are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures and properties

Isomers

What are the different type of Isomers?

Structural isomers, Cis-trans isomers, and Enantiomers

Structural isomers

Have different covalent arrangements of their atoms

Cis-trans Isomers ( also called geometric isomers)

Have the same covalent bonds but differ in their spatial arrangements

Enantiomers

Are isomers that are mirror images of each other

Two enantiomers of a drug ________

may have different effects

Distinctive properties or organic molecules depend on what?

The carbon skeleton and the chemical groups attached to it

__________ are the components of organic molecules that are most commonly involved in chemical reactions

Functional groups

What gives each molecule their own unique properties?

The number and arrangement of functions groups

The seven most important functional group

1: Hydroxyl group

2: Carbonyl group

3: Carboxyl group

4: Amino group

5:Sulfhydryl group

6:Phosphate group

7:Methyl group