Carbon Chemistry and Functional Groups

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental concepts of carbon chemistry, isomerism, functional groups, and cellular energy molecules.

Organic Chemistry

The study of compounds that contain carbon, ranging from simple to colossal molecules, often with hydrogen.

Tetravalence of Carbon

The characteristic of having four valence electrons, which allows carbon to form four covalent bonds and build large, complex, and diverse organic molecules.

Miller-Urey Experiment

An experiment demonstrating that organic compounds can be synthesized from inorganic precursors under conditions simulating early Earth.

Tetrahedral Geometry

The spatial arrangement around a carbon atom with four single covalent bonds, characterized by bond angles of approximately $109.5^\times$ or $109.5^\text{o}$ ($109.5^\text{deg}$).

Planar Double-Bond Geometry

The flat structural arrangement formed around two carbon atoms that are joined by a double bond.

Major Carbon Partners

Hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, which are the most common bonding partners for carbon in living systems.

Carbon Bonding Versatility Examples

Carbon dioxide ($\text{CO}_2$) and urea ($\text{CO(NH}_2)_2$), which illustrate carbon's capacity to form bonds with oxygen and nitrogen.

Carbon Skeleton Diversity

Variations in carbon chains by length, branching, and ring structure, creating vast structural diversity among organic molecules.

Hydrocarbons

Organic molecules consisting only of carbon and hydrogen, whose $\text{C-H}$ and $\text{C-C}$ bonds release substantial energy upon reaction.

Isomers

Compounds that possess the same molecular formula but feature different chemical structures and properties.

Structural Isomers

Isomers that differ in the covalent arrangement or connectivity of their carbon backbone and attached atoms.

Geometric Isomers

Isomers that possess identical covalent bonds but differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms around a double bond.

Enantiomers

Molecules that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other (chiral), often displaying distinct biological activities.

Functional Group

A specific group of atoms attached to an organic skeleton that determines the characteristic chemical reactivity and properties of a molecule.

Hydroxyl Group

A functional group with the structure $\text{-OH}$ that forms hydrogen bonds with water, increasing the solubility of organic compounds.

Carbonyl Group

A functional group consisting of a carbon double-bonded to an oxygen atom ($\text{C=O}$), found in aldehydes and ketones.

Carboxyl Group

A functional group ($\text{-COOH}$) that acts as an acid because its highly polar $\text{O-H}$ bond readily donates a hydrogen ion ($\text{H}^+$).

Amino Group

A functional group ($\text{-NH}_2$) that acts as a base by accepting a proton under cellular conditions to become $\text{-NH}_3^+$.

Sulfhydryl Group

A functional group ($\text{-SH}$, or thiol) . Helps stabilized rote in structures through CROSS LINKING disulfide bonds

Phosphate Group

A functional group ($\text{-OPO}_3^{2-}$) that imparts a negative charge and stores energy in high-energy bonds.

Methyl Group

A functional group ($\text{-CH}_3$) whose addition to DNA or proteins regulates gene expression and modifies hormone function.

Methylation of Sex Hormones

The addition of a methyl group ($\text{-CH}_3$) that alters the three-dimensional shape and function of sex hormones.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

The primary energy-transferring molecule in cellular biology, composed of adenosine attached to three phosphate groups.

ATP Hydrolysis

The enzymatic cleavage of ATP's terminal phosphate group to release energy, forming ADP and inorganic phosphate ($\text{P}_\text{i}$).

Cis Isomer

A geometric isomer in which similar functional groups or substituents are situated on the same side of a double bond.

Trans Isomer

A geometric isomer in which similar functional groups or substituents are situated on opposite sides of a double bond.

Chiral Pharmacological Differences

The variation in biological efficacy between enantiomers, exemplified by L- and D-forms of drugs like ibuprofen where only one enantiomer is biologically active.

Disulfide Cross-Links

Covalent bonds ($\text{-S-S-}$) formed between two sulfhydryl groups that help stabilize the overall three-dimensional shape of proteins.

Aldehydes vs. Ketones

The structural distinction where aldehydes contain a carbonyl group ($\text{C=O}$) at the end of a carbon chain, whereas ketones contain it within the chain.

Conjugate Base Stabilization

The structural stability achieved after a carboxyl group ($\text{-COOH}$) loses a proton, contributing to its acidic behavior in aqueous environments.