(BIOL 101) Module 1: Lesson 4 - Carbon Vocab List

study of carbon-based compounds; concerns molecules with carbon

organic chemistry

concerns molecules that do not have carbon

inorganic chemistry

Which is NOT an atom that carbon typically bonds with?

helium

the electrons available for chemical bonds; how many it gains loses or shares

valence

makes 4 bonds, can branch off in 4 directions: carbon is this

tetravalent

when atoms share two pairs of electrons

double bonds

molecules that contain hydrogen & carbon; can be very large/complex; important for living organisms, great way to store energy; exs. fats, fossil fuels

hydrocarbons

large hydrocarbon chains attached to a non-hydrocarbon component

fats

chains of carbon atoms in a compound; different arrangement/length = different compound

carbon skeleton

compounds that have the same number of atoms, same elements, same chemical formula, but different structures & properties; exs. structural, cis/trans, enantiomers

isomers

differ in arrangement of their atoms

structural isomers

arrangement of atoms around the double bond differs; cis has atoms on same side, trans has atoms on opposite sides

cis/trans isomers

mirror images of each other; contain asymmetric carbon (bonded to 4 different atoms); exs. ibuprofen, albuterol

enantiomers

chemical groups attached to carbon skeletons & involved in chemical reactions; hydrophilic exs. hyrdoxl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amino, sulfhydrl; nonreactive exs. phosphate, methyl

functional groups

hydroxyl

carbonyl

carboxyl

amino

sulfhydryl

phosphate

methyl