Hydrocarbons

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from a lecture on molecular biology, the origin of life, carbon-based molecules, functional groups, hydrocarbons, and isomers.

Organic

Containing carbon; forms basis of molecular diversity.

Octet Rule

The tendency of atoms to prefer to have eight electrons in the valence shell.

Hydroxyl (-OH)

A functional group; e.g., found in alcohols.

Carboxyl (-COOH)

A functional group; e.g., an acid.

Carbonyl (>C=O)

A functional group; e.g., ketone or aldehyde.

Amino (-NH2)

A functional group; e.g., found in amines and amino acids.

Sulfhydryl (-SH)

A functional group; e.g., important for protein structure (disulfide bridges).

Phosphate (-OPO3^2-)

A functional group; e.g., found in DNA.

Methyl (-CH3)

A functional group; e.g., involved in DNA methylation.

Aliphatic Hydrocarbons

Saturated - single bonds e.g alkanes

Unsaturated - double and triple bonds e.g alkenes and alkynes

Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons usually with a ring structure and a conjugated system of single and double bonds.

Saturated Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons with single bonds only.

Unsaturated Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons with double or triple bonds.

Alkanes

Saturated hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2.

Alkenes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons containing one or more carbon-carbon double bonds.

CnH2n

Alkynes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons containing one or more carbon-carbon triple bonds.

CnH2n-2

Alkyl Group

A side group derived from an alkane by removing one hydrogen atom (e.g., -CH3 methyl).

Isomers

Molecules with the same molecular formula but different structures.

Structural Isomers

Isomers that differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms (chain, position, functional group).

Stereoisomers

Isomers that have the same covalent arrangements but differ in spatial arrangements (cis-trans, enantiomers)

Cis-Trans Isomers

Stereoisomers with different orientations around a double bond (C=C).

Conformational Isomers

Isomers that differ in orientation of ring structures due to single bond rotation.

Enantiomers

Stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images; optically active.

Asymmetric Carbon

A carbon atom bonded to four different groups; also known as a chiral center.

Racemic Mixture

A mixture containing equal amounts of both enantiomers.

Dextrorotatory (+)

An enantiomer that rotates plane-polarized light clockwise (to the right).

Levorotatory (-)

An enantiomer that rotates plane-polarized light counterclockwise (to the left).