1.3 The Carbon Chemistry of Life Flashcards
Carbon atoms are the base of…
the base of every
ORGANIC molecule
Carbon atoms form the..
Forms the BACKBONE of large,
complex molecules
* this role arises from carbon’s bonding
properties
Facts About Carbon
Can assemble into a huge variety of
CHAIN and RING structures
Can bond with 4 other molecules (b/c it
has 4 valence e-) and can form single, double and triple bonds
Molecules that only
contain Carbon and
Hydrogen are called
HYDROCARBONS
* Smallest = methane (CH4)
Hydrocarbons are
commonly used as
FUELS
Carbon can form
rings, which can form complex chains
Molecules of living
organisms contain other
elements in addition to C
and H which give the molecules…
Give the biological molecules
different functional
properties
Functional Groups
atoms that affects the function of a molecule by participating in chemical reactions
Functional Groups Attach to…
Attach to Carbon structures and give them specific chemical
characteristics
Often _________ are involved in chemical reactions
IONIC/STRONGLY POLAR molecules
__________parts DO NOT INTERACT in reactions
Non-Polar
–OH
Hydroxyl
Major Class of Molecule: Alcohols
C=O
Carbonyl
Major Class of Molecule:
Aldehydes
C
“
O
Carbonyl
Major Class of Molecule:
Ketones
COOH
O
"
C
"
OH
Carboxyl
Major Class of Molecule:
Organic acids
NH2
H
"
N
"
H
Amino
Major Class of Molecule:
Amino Acids
PO42-
O-
'
O - P - O-
"
O
Phosphate
Major Class of Molecule:
Nucleotides, Nucleic Acids, Many other cellular molecules
- SH
Sulfhydryl
Major Class of Molecule:
Many cellular molecules
Functional Groups Makes molecules available for cell
use by…
making them water soluble
Some groups are IONIC FUNCTIONAL GROUPS
Carboxyl (COOH) – can release protons (H+)
(acts as an acid)
Amino (NH2) – can accept protons (H+) to become NH3+ (acts as a weak base)
Phosphate (H3PO4) – loses hydrogen atoms to become
PO4 2- (acts as an acid)
DNA is an acid because…
it contains a huge number of phosphate groups
along its backbone
Therefore, its overall charge is negative
