Chapter 4: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life Flashcards
Hydrocarbons
An organic molecule consisting only of carbon and hydrogen.
Carboxyl group
A chemical group present in organic acids and consisting of a single carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and also bonded to a hydroxyl group.
Structural isomers
One of two or more compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms.
Cis-trans isomers
One of several compounds that have the same molecular formula and covalent bonds between atoms but differ in the spatial arrangements of their atoms owing to the inflexibility of double bonds; also called a geometric isomer.
Functional groups
A specific configuration of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules and involved in chemical reactions.
Enantiomers
One of two compounds that are mirror images of each other and that differ in shape due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon.
Isomers
One of two or more compounds that have the same numbers of atoms of the same elements but different structures and hence different properties.
Hydroxyl group
A chemical group consisting of an oxygen atom joined to a hydrogen atom. Molecules possessing this group are soluble in water and are called alcohols.
Methyl group
A chemical group consisting of a carbon bonded to three hydrogen atoms. The methyl group may be attached to a carbon or to a different atom.
Sulfhydryl group
A chemical group consisting of a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom.
Carbonyl group
A chemical group present in aldehydes and ketones and consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom.
Organic chemistry
The study of carbon compounds (organic compounds).
Amino group
A chemical group consisting of a nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms; can act as a base in solution, accepting a hydrogen ion and acquiring a charge of plus one.
Phosphate group
A chemical group consisting of a phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms; important in energy transfer.
Adenosine triphosphate
An adenine-containing nucleoside triphosphate that releases free energy when its phosphate bonds are hydrolyzed. This energy is used to drive endergonic reactions in cells.
