Chapter 20: Biochemistry Flashcards
What is the basis of organic chemistry?
The ability to push electrons
What is organic chemistry?
The chemistry of all compounds containing carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds.
The molecules of life
What is a biomolecule?
any molecule produced by living organisms
What is biochemistry?
Study of chemical processes taking place in living organisms
Why are functional groups important, what are the names of the functional groups?
The functional group is where all the chemistry takes place, hydrogens and carbons are merely the skeleton.
Alkane, alkene, alkyne, alcohol, carboxylic acid, amine, aldehyde, ketone, aromatic, ether, ester, amide
What are constitutional isomers?
Molecules with the same chemical formula but different connectivity (lewis structures).
Are different compounds with different chemical and physical properties
What are stereoisomers?
Isomers with same formula and connectivity but different spacial arrangements of atoms
Chemical and physical properties change whether cis or trans
What is a cis isomer?
Also Z isomer, two like groups on same side of molecules (can see each other)
What is a trans isomer?
Also E isomer, two like groups opposite sides of molecules (cannot see each other)
What are optical isomers?
Molecules that do not have superimposable mirror images (chiral)
Mirror, rotate 180 degrees, if not same = non superimposable
What does it mean to be chiral?
A chiral molecule is connected to four different groups
What does it mean to be chiral?
A chiral molecule is connected to four different groups
if there is a double bond or symmetry, molecule is not chiral
Why is chiral properties important in biochemistry?
Chiral properties is necessary for enzymes to work on specific molecules
What does optical refer to?
The way compounds interact with plane of polarized light
-The degree to which it rotates polarized light
What are enantiomers?
One pair of optical isomers
-rotate polarized light in two different directions but to the same magnitude.
What is a racemic mixture?
Sample with equal amounts of both enantiomers of compound. There will be no chemical activity
What is necessary for a drug to have a chemical activity?
Must be chiral and often is separated from enantiomers since enantiomers may have opposite reactions
What are proteins?
Biological polymer made of amino acids
What are amino acids?
A molecule containing one amine group and one carboxylic acid group
-20 known alpha amino acids
What are essential amino acids?
Any of the eight amino acids that make up peptides/proteins not synthesized in the body
What is the form of alpha amino acids?
19 chiral, 1 non chiral
-amine group (NH3), carboxylic acid (COOH), bonded to alpha carbon
-differ from each other by side chain “R”
What are the groups of alpha amino acids?
Nonpolar R groups, Polar R groups (may contain hydrogen bond or C double O bond), Acidic R group, basic R groups (lone pair available)