Functional Groups (bio)

6 Main ones

-OH

Hydroxyl (image)

Hydroxyl

-polar

-neutral charge, never ionizes w/ C

-not acid or base

-forms carbs, nucleic acids, alcohols, some acids, some steroids

-hydrogen bonds

-COOH (or -COO^-)

Carboxyl (image)

Carboxyl

-polar

-negative charge in cells

-acid

-amino acids, fatty acids

-ionic, ion-dipole bonds

-NH2 (or -NH3⁺)

Amino (image)

Amino

-polar

-positive charge in cells

-base

-amino acids, nucleic acids

-ionic, ion-dipole bonds

-PO4^-2 (or -HPO4^- -H2PO4)

Phosphate (image)

Phosphate

-polar

-very negative charge in cells

-acid

-nucleic acids, phospholipids

-ionic, ion-dipole bonds

-CH3

Methyl (image)

Methyl

-nonpolar

-neutral charge

-not acid or base

-many organic molecules, esp. common in lipids

-hydrophobic associations

-SH

Sulfhydryl (image)

Sulfhydryl

-slightly polar

-neutral charge

-not acid or base

-hydrocarbons (lipids), some amino acids, some R groups

-covalent disulfide bridge= nonpolar covalent bond (intermolecular)