General Biochemistry: Functional Groups and Chemical Bonds

Flashcards reviewing the functional groups, chemical bonds, and non-covalent interactions discussed in the lecture.

What are the approximate number of chemical bonds for C, N, O, and H?

C has four chemical bonds, N has three chemical bonds, O has two chemical bonds, and H has one chemical bond.

What is the key characteristic of alcohols?

Alcohols have an 'O' bonded between 'C' and 'H'.

What distinguishes a phenol from an alcohol?

A phenol is an alcohol where the 'C' is part of an aromatic benzene ring.

What is the difference between an alcohol and a thiol?

In thiols, the 'O' in an alcohol is replaced by 'S'.

What is the key structural feature of aldehydes?

Aldehydes have 'O' double bonded to 'C', with this 'C' sitting between another 'C' and 'H'.

What is the key structural feature of ketones?

Ketones have 'O' double bonded to 'C', with this 'C' sitting between two other 'C'.

What is another name for the 'C=O' combination found in aldehydes and ketones?

Carbonyl group.

What is the structural arrangement of carboxylic acids?

Carboxylic acids have 'O' double bonded to 'C', with this 'C' bonded to an 'O-H' combination.

What are the conjugate bases of carboxylic acids called?

Carboxylates.

What is the defining feature of amines?

'N' is bonded to 'C'.

What is formed when an amine picks up a proton?

A conjugate acid.

How are esters formed?

Through a combination of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol.

What are esters formed between organic alcohols and inorganic acids called?

Phosphate or sulfate esters.

How are thioesters formed?

Through a combination of carboxylic acids and thiols.

How are amides formed?

Through a combination of a carboxylic acid and an amine.

What properties do carboxylic acids and amines lose when forming an amide bond?

Carboxylic acids lose their acidic properties, and amines lose their basic properties.

How are ethers formed?

Through a combination of two alcohols.

What creates a covalent bond?

The sharing of electrons amongst different atoms.

Are covalent bonds strong or weak?

Strongest chemical bonds and require a fair amount of energy to be broken.

What determines a biomolecule's functionality?

The shape, the 3D form, the biomolecule adopts in its environment.

What are non-covalent bonds also known as?

Secondary interactions.

How do non-covalent bonds compare in strength to covalent bonds?

Weaker compared to covalent bonds.

How are ionic bonds formed?

Ionic bonds are formed between positively charged molecules or functional groups and negatively charged molecules or functional groups.

What type of charges are involved in Van der Waals forces?

Partial electrical charges

What is a dipole?

The presence of these partial charges within a functional group

What is a hydrogen bond?

A special case of Van der Waals forces involve hydrogen bonds.

What is a donor in the context of hydrogen bonding?

The functional group donating the hydrogen

What is an acceptor in the context of hydrogen bonding?

The functional group accepting the hydrogen

What is the hydrophobic effect?

This seemingly attractive force between hydrophobic molecules.

What is the difference between hydrophilic and hydrophobic?

Molecules that contain full or partial electrical charges like to “bond” with the partial charges within the water molecules and are more likely to dissolve in water; such molecules are termed hydrophilic. Molecules that do not have any features that like to “bond” with water are less likely to dissolve in water; such molecules are termed hydrophobic.