Chapter Four Flashcards
What are organic compounds?
carbon containing compounds
Why is carbon so important in living systems?
it is the building block of life on earth
How many valence electrons does carbon have?
4
How many and what type of bonds can carbon form?
four covalent bonds; usually double or single
_____ of a molecule determines properties and function
shape
How can shape vary in organic molecules?
- length
- double bonds and their position
- number of branches and where they’re located
- presence of rings
- isomers
What are the types of isomers?
- structural isomers
- cis-trans isomers
- enantiomers
How do structural isomers differ?
in the covalent arrangements of their atoms; increases with carbon skeletons
What are cis-trans isomers?
geometric isomers that differ in their spatial arrangements due to inflexibility of double bonds
What are enantiomers?
mirror images of each other that differ in shape due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon
What is an asymmetrical carbon?
a carbon that is attached to four different atoms or groups
Chemical groups influence _____ and ________ of a molecule and how it interacts with other molecules
shape and function
Polar interactions are ___________ and ________
hydrophilic and reactive
Methyl group is ___ _______ and serves as an easy identification tag
not reactive
