Organic Chemistry I - Vocabulary Flashcards

Flashcards for Organic Chemistry I review, focusing on key vocabulary and definitions from the lecture notes.

Alkane

Simplest class of organic compounds made entirely of carbon and hydrogen atoms connected by single covalent bonds (sigma bonds). General formula CₙH₂ₙ₊₂. Nonpolar and hydrophobic.

Unsaturated Hydrocarbon

Hydrocarbons with one or more double (alkene) or triple (alkyne) carbon-carbon bonds. Includes cycloalkenes, which are cyclic structures containing at least one double bond.

Alkene

An unsaturated hydrocarbon containing one or more carbon-carbon double bonds.

Alkyne

An unsaturated hydrocarbon containing one or more carbon-carbon triple bonds.

Alcohol

An organic compound containing an –OH (hydroxyl) group attached to a saturated carbon atom.

Aldehyde

An organic compound featuring a carbonyl group (C=O) at the end of a carbon chain.

Ketone

An organic compound with a carbonyl group (C=O) bonded to two carbon atoms.

Aromatic Compound

Compounds containing at least one benzene ring.

Ether

An organic compound having an oxygen atom linking two carbon chains.

Thiol

An organic compound containing a sulfur-hydrogen bond (-SH) attached to a carbon chain.

Prostaglandins

Regulate inflammation, pain response, and gastric protection; structural basis formed by unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Formaldehyde

An aldehyde-based disinfectant critical for sterilizing surgical instruments by cross-linking microbial proteins and DNA.

Acetone

A ketone used to prepare sterile surgical surfaces and as a solvent in drug formulations; dissolves adhesives and drug coatings.

Phenoxyethanol

An ether used to stabilize active ingredients in medications and preserve biological formulations, such as vaccines.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

A thiol used to treat acetaminophen toxicity by replenishing glutathione stores and enabling the detoxification of harmful acetaminophen metabolites.