Properties of Water and Biological Functional Groups

Flashcards covering vocabulary related to water properties, polarity, solubility, and key biological functional groups based on the lecture transcript.

Polar covalent bond

A type of covalent bond characterized by the unequal sharing of electrons between atoms, resulting in partial positive and partial negative charges on specific atoms within the molecule.

Hydrogen bond

A weak electrostatic attraction between a partially negatively charged atom (such as oxygen or nitrogen) of one molecule and a partially positively charged hydrogen atom on another molecule.

Solvent

A substance capable of getting other substances or salts into solution, a property for which water is particularly effective.

Hydrophilic

Literally meaning 'water loving', refers to molecules with partial or full charges that are soluble in water and readily form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.

Hydrophobic

Literally meaning 'water fearing', refers to non-polar molecules with no or very few partial charges that are insoluble in water and do not dissolve easily.

Octane

A hydrophobic molecule consisting of chains of carbon and hydrogen without partial charges, rendering it unable to interact easily with water.

Carbon backbone

The sequence of bonded carbon atoms in a biological molecule that provides its overall structural shape.

Functional groups

Specific combinations of atoms (such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur) attached to a carbon backbone that dictate the chemical behavior of a molecule.

Amino group

A functional group that attracts a proton in the presence of water to become positively charged.

Carboxyl group

A functional group that releases one proton in the presence of water, resulting in a charge of $-1$.

Phosphate group

A functional group that releases two protons in the presence of water, resulting in a charge of $-2$.

Hydroxyl group

A polar functional group that does not lose or gain protons in the presence of water.

Sulfur hydrogen group

A polar functional group (also known as a sulfhydryl group) that does not lose or gain protons in the presence of water.

Methyl group

A non-polar functional group that does not encourage interactions with water.

Hydrogen ion ($H^+$)

A positively charged hydrogen cation consisting of a single proton, formed when a hydrogen atom loses its electron.