Chapter 4 - Carbon: the backbone of life Flashcards
1.
why are most living beings carbon based?
because important molecules such as DNA, Carbohydrates etc. all have a carbon backbone with functional groups that set the molecules seperate from others
What are biological molecules a subset of?
they are all water based elements of organic and non organic compounds ( Carbon and w/o Carbon )
what do organic compounds contain mostly?
They are mostly containing Carbon + hydrogen
What is an abiotic synthesis
When nature synthesizes/produces materials from non living matter
What was the first biological molecule that was sythesized? what year?
Urea in year 1828
can we synthesize biological compounds in a lab?
yes, but it is very laborious and expensive
What were the afterproducts of the Miller Urey experiment?
What did the Miller-Urey experiments show about the truth about origin of life?
How many valence electrons does carbon have? how many molecules can it bond with?
4 valence electrons, it can bond with 4 other molecules
which other molecule is also similar to Carbon in needing only four covalent bonds to fill its valence shell?
Silicone
Why are carbon based backbones more valued than silicone based?
Because their bonds result in a stronger backbone due to the presence of
Can silicones like carbon also become a backbone molecule?
it can, but it would be a much weaker backbone
what are the two chemical structures of carbon?
Ring forms and linear forms
which three molecules does carbon bond with to make a backbone skeleton?
what are hydrocarbons? what are their main functions?
Carbon + hydrogen, their main function is to act as a backbone group of a compound
Describe some elements of variations in hydrocarbons?
the length (how many hydrocarbons)
double bonds vs. single bonds (creates a tetrahedral vs planar chemical structure)
ring formations
enter pictures
what major biological molecules group are hydrocarbons skeletons of?
alkanes
what property of hydrocarbons make them hydrophobic?
since they are non polar, they do not like to bond with water and as a result are hydrophobic
are hydrocarbons using more energy to make and break their bonds?
Yes, they release/use a lot of energy when they covalently bond
are isomers and isotopes the same thing?
(just to help you remember they are different things!)
No
what are isomers?
isomers are when two molecules have the same chemical formulas such as Glucose but have a different placement structure
how many major types of isomers exist? which type is sort of the most common?
3 major types of isomers exist:
Cis-Trans Isomers
Enantiomers
Structural isomers
Structural isomers are the most common type
describe structural isomers
structural isomers are when two of the same chemical formulas of a substance occur in a different chemical arrangement
under what circumstances do a cis trans isomers form? how does a cis isomer form? how does a trans isomer form?
when two molecules on each side of the double bond are different, it’s a trans isomer
when two molecules are the same on each side of the double bond, it’s a cis isomer
how are enantiomers different from cistrans isomers and structural isomers?
they are exact mirror images of the same chemical formula of molecules
can enzymes and other molecules in our body recognize isomers more easily than we can in a labratory?
Yes, they are easily distinguished
How does the fact that we cannot easily distinguish the difference in two enantiomers affect us in real world?
when consumable substances such as drugs and medicines are synthesized, synthesizing the molecule’s enantiomer can actually result in different reactions in the body because
1. only one enantiomer is biologically active so it may work ineffectively or lead to other side effects
2. since the body can easily distinguish between the two structures, it will not perform the intended function of the original enantiomer because it knows the difference between the two structures
since human bodies are very sensitive even to the slightest variations i
apart from the hydrocarbon/carbon backbones, what is the other attached group called?
functional groups
explain the impact of these functional groups using an example
the male and female hormone chemically have nearly the same molecular structure except that their functional groups are different. This causes a major difference pysiologically and in the brain because it influences other hormonal processes differently and we can see the general difference between men and women
there are ____ functional groups imp for most biological beings
7
what is the function of the attached group on the backbones of hydrocarbons/carbon?
their arrangement/structure determine their chemical identity, chemical properties and solubility which essentially determine the overall function of the molecule
list the group of most important functional groups
- Hydroxyl
- Carboxyl
- Amino
- Sulfhydrl
- Methyl
- Phosphate
- Carbonyl
(CCAMPHS)
describe functions and structure of Hydroxyl
chemical formula ends in -OH (names of the compounds usually ends on -ol such as alcohol)
is polar so its a great solvent
function : since they are more electronegative, they mostly spend their time bonding and making covalent bonds with other molecules
describe Carbonyl, are they more electronegative?
they are basically carbon double bonded with oxygen
because of the presence of oxygen, its partial charge makes it a more polar molecule
explain the two subcatergories of Carbonyl
if a carbonyl group is between a carbon skeleton - ketones
if the carbonyl group is at the end of the skeleton - aldehydes
What happens when you combine the carbonyl and hydroxyl groups?
it becomes known as another function group named carboxyl (hydroXYL + CARBOnyl)
Describe the functions and structures of Carboxyl
Functions
structures containing Carboxyls are known as Carboxylic acids because the molecules of compound turn the group into an acid.
Carboxylic acids also can dissassociate in solutions and become negatively charged making it able to make ionic bonds
They are very polar because of the hydrogen and oxygen and make a good solute
structure: the carboxyl group is the Carbon double bonded to oxygen and with Hydroxide
Describe the structure/function of Amino acids
Function: the amino group acts as a base because when it bonds with hydrogen, it forms a *positive charge *allowing it to ionically bond with others making it a versatile base
- Amines are polar due to the hydrogen molecules
Structure: NH2, a nitrogen bonded with two hydrogen
Describe the structure/function of Sulfhydryl
The name of the chemical compound is Thiol
Structure: The chemical of groups containing Thiols end in SH
Function:
it is less electronegative than others,
very chemically reactive,
is able to bond with another sulfhydrl’s group’s which helps keep protein stable
Describe the function/structure of phosphates
Structure: Phospohorus molecule bonded with oxygen on all four sides,
Function: they are highly negatively charged groups and are very electronegative,
Describe the structure/function of methyl groups
Structure: Carbon is bonded with 3 hydrogens. It has a specific stereochemical shape and small changes in arrangement of the structure makes a huge difference.
Function:
dislikes water because it isn’t very electronegative and is nonpolar
addition of methyl to DNA impacts gene expression
Chemical formula + compound name: Methyl
The name of the compounds are known as methylated compounds its chemical formula is CH3.
Chemical formula + compound name: Phosphates
SH, the name chemical compounds are called Organic phosphates
Chemical formula + compound name: Sulfhydryl
–SH
The name of the chemical compound is Thiol
Chemical formula + compound name: Amino Acids
NH3,
The compound name is Amines
Chemical formula + compound name:
Carboxyl
-COOH
Carboxylic acids
Chemical formula + compound name:
Carbonyl
-C
aledhydes/ketones
Chemical formula + compound name:
Hydroxyl
-OH
