Carbon Flashcards
what is organic chemistry?
the study of carbon compounds, everything from CH4 to the four biomolecules (carbs, lipids, proteins, nucleic acid)
why is CO2 considered as inorganic?
although it has C, it lacks H
how did Stanley Miller create organic compounds?
recreated conditions he thought to have existed on the primordial Earth and through abiotic synthesis, he created them
what 4 gases did Miller put into his glasses? what notable gas is not present?
h2o, h2, nh3, ch4; o2
what is the electrical discharge released by the electrodes supposed to represent in the eely Earth?
lightning
what color was the solution collected in the flask? what is it often referred to as?
murky brown; “primordial soup”
what were some of the organic molecules Miller created through abiotic synthesis?
some amino acids, hydrocarbons
what have scientists found after opening Miller’s original sealed flasks?
~15 amino acids
evidence today suggests the 4 gases used in Miller’s experiment were not principal gases of the early Earth. what do scientists say about the most abundant gases that time?
H2O, CO2, SO2, N2
what element number is Carbon? how many valence electrons? what bonds does it make? what structures?
6; 4; single or double covalent binds; straight, branches, ringed structures
prefixes for number of carbons
1- meth
2 - eth
3 - prop
4 - but
5 - pent
6 - hex
7 - hept
8 - oct
9 - non
10 - dec
hydrocarbons
molecules that only consist of carbon and hydrogen that undergo reaction which release a large amount of energy
nonpolar and found in adipose/fat tissue
isomers
compounds with the same number of atoms of the same elements, but diff structure and function
how do structural isomer differ?
spatial arrangements
how do cis-trans isomers differ?
carbons have covalent bonds to the same atoms, but the atoms differ in spatial arrangement due to the inflexibility of double bonds
cis - same side
trans - diagonal
how do enantiomers differ?
they are mirror images of each other/a chiral molecule
cannot be superimposed due to the presences of an asymmetric carbon-one that is attached to four different atoms or groups of atoms
what does chiral mean?
opposite
asymmetric carbon
4 diff groups around it
what is the retina?
light detecting layer at the back of the eye
what two kinds of cells does the retina have?
rods and cones
how are cones used?
in bright light and are used in color vision
how are rods used?
for peripheral vision and night vision
what are the tips of rods and cones called?
discs
what is one of the pigments molecules located in discs called?
rhodopsin
what two parts make up rhodopsin?
opsin (a protein)
retinal
how does opsin and retinal work in rhodopsin?
in the dark, retinal is in the cis form and fits into opsin. when light hits rhodopsin, retinal is transformed into the trans form and no longer fits in opsin causing a shape change to the rhodopsin molecule. the change in rhodopsin’s shape is transmitted to nerve cells in the optic nerve in the eye and then to the brain enabling vision
what is it called when there’s a shape change to the rhodopsin molecule?
bleaching
with enantiomers, usually one isomer is what?
biologically active because it binds to specific molecules in an organism
what does R stand for? S? what do they refer to?
R- rectus; right-handed version
S- sinister; left-handed version
what does d stand for? l?
d= dexter (on the right)
l= laveus (on the left)
what are to two enantiomers for methamphetamines?
one is highly addictive drug
other is found in over the counter vapor inhalers for nasal congestion
why are pharmaceutical like Claritin D no longer sold on shelves?
they all contain pseudoephedrine which is a stimulant well known for shrinking swollen nasal mucous membranes and is often used as a decongestant, but it is a precursor chemical that can be used to manufacture methamphetamines
what was an enantiomer that was in the news in the 1950s?
thalidomide; it was given to pregnant women to treat morning sickness. at that time scientists did not believe any drug could pass across the placenta and harm the developing fetus. it caused birth defects like “seal-like” limbs
what are functional groups?
specific configuration of atoms connected to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules and involved in chemical reactions
example of functional group
steroids (a class of lipids with carbon skeletons composed of 4 fused rings) the difference bw male and female sex hormones is a couple different function groups
8 function groups
hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amino, sulfhydryl, phosphate, methyl. ester
hydroxyl structure, name of compound, example, functional properties
-OH
alcohol
ethanol
polar and forms hydrogen bonds with water
carbonyl structure, name of compound, example, functional properties
C=O (double bond O)
ketone, aldehyde
acetone, propanol
found in sugars
within a molecule - ketone
end of molecule - aldehyde
carboxyl structure, name of compound, example, functional properties
COOH (single bond OH, double bond O)
carboxylic acid (organic acid)
acetic acid
acts as an acid (donates H+)
Oh becomes O- + H+
amino structure, name of compound, example, functional properties
NH2 (two single bond H)
amene
glycine (one of amino acids)
acts as a bas (picks up H+)
NH2 becomes NH3+
sulfhydryl structure, name of compound, example, functional properties
-SH/-HS (single bond)
thiol
cysteine (amino acid)
cross-linking: two -SH groups form a strong bond in proteins
phosphate structure, name of compound, example, functional properties
PO4 (3 single bond O (2 O are neg), double bond O)
organic phosphate
glycerol phosphate (backbones of phospholipids)
contributes a negative charge to the molecule it is a part of (2- in this example)
reacts with water and releases energy
methyl structure, name of compound, example, functional properties
CH3 (three single bond H)
methylated compound
5-methyl cytidine (modified component of DNA)
addition of a methyl group to DNA affects the expression of genes
ester structure, example
COO (double bond O, single bond O)
found in lipids
