1.3 The Carbon Chemistry of Life Flashcards
(21 cards)
Carbon atoms are the base of…
the base of every
ORGANIC molecule
Carbon atoms form the..
Forms the BACKBONE of large,
complex molecules
* this role arises from carbon’s bonding
properties
Facts About Carbon
Can assemble into a huge variety of
CHAIN and RING structures
Can bond with 4 other molecules (b/c it
has 4 valence e-) and can form single, double and triple bonds
Molecules that only
contain Carbon and
Hydrogen are called
HYDROCARBONS
* Smallest = methane (CH4)
Hydrocarbons are
commonly used as
FUELS
Carbon can form
rings, which can form complex chains
Molecules of living
organisms contain other
elements in addition to C
and H which give the molecules…
Give the biological molecules
different functional
properties
Functional Groups
atoms that affects the function of a molecule by participating in chemical reactions
Functional Groups Attach to…
Attach to Carbon structures and give them specific chemical
characteristics
Often _________ are involved in chemical reactions
IONIC/STRONGLY POLAR molecules
__________parts DO NOT INTERACT in reactions
Non-Polar
–OH
Hydroxyl
Major Class of Molecule: Alcohols
C=O
Carbonyl
Major Class of Molecule:
Aldehydes
C
“
O
Carbonyl
Major Class of Molecule:
Ketones
COOH
O
"
C
"
OH
Carboxyl
Major Class of Molecule:
Organic acids
NH2
H
"
N
"
H
Amino
Major Class of Molecule:
Amino Acids
PO42-
O-
'
O - P - O-
"
O
Phosphate
Major Class of Molecule:
Nucleotides, Nucleic Acids, Many other cellular molecules
- SH
Sulfhydryl
Major Class of Molecule:
Many cellular molecules
Functional Groups Makes molecules available for cell
use by…
making them water soluble
Some groups are IONIC FUNCTIONAL GROUPS
Carboxyl (COOH) – can release protons (H+)
(acts as an acid)
Amino (NH2) – can accept protons (H+) to become NH3+ (acts as a weak base)
Phosphate (H3PO4) – loses hydrogen atoms to become
PO4 2- (acts as an acid)
DNA is an acid because…
it contains a huge number of phosphate groups
along its backbone
Therefore, its overall charge is negative
