Essentials of Biology - Carbon and Organic Molecules

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to carbon, organic molecules, and their properties.

Organic molecules

Molecules containing carbon and hydrogen, making up portions of cells, tissues, and organs.

Inorganic molecules

Molecules that do not contain carbon and hydrogen.

Macromolecules

Large, complex molecules comprising cells, including proteins, nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), carbohydrates, and lipids.

Carbon

An element with unique properties allowing it to form covalent bonds with up to four different atoms, serving as the basic structural component of macromolecules.

Hydrocarbons

Organic molecules consisting entirely of carbon and hydrogen.

Aliphatic hydrocarbons

Linear chains of carbon atoms.

Aromatic hydrocarbons

Closed rings of carbon atoms.

Isomers

Molecules sharing the same chemical formula but differing in the placement (structure) of their atoms and/or chemical bonds.

Structural isomers

Isomers differing in the placement of their covalent bonds.

Geometric isomers

Isomers with similar placements of covalent bonds but differing in how these bonds are made to the surrounding atoms, especially in carbon-to-carbon double bonds.

Unsaturated fats

Fats with at least one double bond between carbon atoms.

Saturated fats

Triglycerides without double bonds between carbon atoms.

Enantiomers

Molecules that share the same chemical structure and chemical bonds but differ in the three-dimensional placement of atoms so that they are non-superimposable mirror images.

Functional groups

Groups of atoms within molecules that confer specific chemical properties to those molecules.

Hydrophobic group

A functional group that is nonpolar.

Hydrophilic functional groups

A functional group, such as the carboxyl group, that is polar.