Organic Chemistry and The Molecules of Life

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering organic chemistry concepts, macromolecules, protein structural levels, nucleic acids, and ATP from the lecture notes.

Organic Chemistry

The chemistry of carbon.

Hydrocarbon

A compound composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen atoms that forms stable portions of most biological molecules.

Functional Group

A specific group of atoms that binds to a carbon backbone and conveys specific chemical properties to an organic compound.

Monomer

A single molecular building block that joins together with others to form chains called polymers.

Polymer

A large molecule composed of repeating monomer subunits covalently linked together.

Dehydration Reaction

A chemical reaction that joins monomers into polymers by covalently linking them through the loss of a $H_2O$ molecule.

Hydrolysis Reaction

A chemical reaction that breaks polymers down into monomers through the addition of a $H_2O$ molecule.

Monosaccharide

The building block monomer of carbohydrates, such as glucose, fructose, ribose, and deoxyribose.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides covalently linked together, such as sucrose, lactose, or maltose.

Polysaccharide

A complex carbohydrate made of many covalently linked sugar units, such as starch, glycogen, or cellulose.

Starch

An energy-storage polysaccharide in plants that consists of a polymer of glucose subunits.

Amylase

An enzyme that breaks down starch into monosaccharides usable by humans.

Glycogen

An energy-storage polysaccharide found in animal cells, composed of glucose subunits.

Cellulose

A polymer of glucose that acts as fiber or bulk in human feces because humans lack cellulase to hydrolyze its linkages.

Triglyceride

A fat molecule constructed from an alcohol (glycerol) bound to three fatty acids.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid that contains double bonds and remains liquid at room temperature.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid with no double bonds that is solid at room temperature.

Phospholipid

A lipid in which a phosphate replaces one fatty acid, enabling it to form a lipid bilayer with hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecular ends.

Steroid

A lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton forming four fused rings, with cholesterol serving as the base steroid.

Amino Acid

The monomer subunit of proteins, featuring an amine group, a carboxyl group, and a variable R group that dictates chemical behavior.

Peptide Bond

The covalent linkage formed between amino acids via a dehydration reaction.

Primary Structure ($1^\text{o}$ Structure)

The sequence of amino acids held together by peptide bonds, as determined by inherited genetic information.

Secondary Structure ($2^\text{o}$ Structure)

Protein folding resulting from hydrogen bonds between the backbone, forming an $\text{a-helix}$ (helical coil) or $\text{b-pleated sheet}$ (sheet-like array).

Tertiary Structure ($3^\text{o}$ Structure)

The final 3-dimensional conformation of a protein resulting from weak interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, hydrophobic interactions) between R groups.

Quaternary Structure ($4^\text{o}$ Structure)

The structural organization formed by the complexing of two or more polypeptide chains through weak interactions.

Fibrous Proteins

Extended, strandlike structural proteins that are water-insoluble and stable, providing mechanical support (e.g., collagen, keratin).

Globular Proteins

Compact, spherical functional proteins that are water-soluble and chemically active (e.g., antibodies, enzymes).

Protein Denaturation

The process where fragile weak bonds in a protein are broken by physical or chemical factors (high temperatures, extreme pH), causing it to unravel and lose its 3D shape and function.

Enzyme

A globular protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions in the body.

Nucleotide

The monomer subunit of nucleic acids, consisting of a 5-carbon sugar (pentose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

DNA

Double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid forming a double helix with bases A, T, C, and G that encodes genetic blueprints for proteins.

RNA

Single-stranded ribonucleic acid containing bases A, U, C, and G whose function is the assembly of proteins.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

The chemical energy molecule used by all cells to drive transport, mechanical, and chemical work.