organic compound
a chemical compound containing the element carbon and usually synthesized by cells
hydrocarbon
a chemical compound composed only of the elements carbon and hydrogen
carbon skeleton
the chain of carbon atoms that forms the structural backbone of an organic molecule
isomer
organic compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures and, therefore, different properties
functional group
an assemblage of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules and usually involved in chemical reactions
hydrophilic
"water-loving"
pertaining to polar, or charged, molecules (or parts of molecules) that are soluble in water
hydroxyl group
in an organic molecule, a functional group consisting of a hydrogen atom bonded to an oxygen atom
organic compounds containing these groups = alcohols
carbonyl group
in an organic molecule, a functional group consisting of a carbon atom linked by a double bond to an oxygen atom
if carbon of the group is @ end = aldehyde
if carbon is w/in the chain = ketone
carboxyl group
in an organic molecule, a functional group consisting of an oxygen atom double-bonded to a carbon atom that is also bonded to a hydroxyl group
carboxylic acid
an organic compound containing a carboxyl group
acts as an acid
amino group
in an organic molecule, a functional group consisting of a nitrogen atom bonded to 2 hydrogen atoms
acts as a base
amine
an organic compound w/ 1+ amino groups
phosphate group
a functional group consisting of a phosphorus atom covalently bonded to 4 oxygen atoms
compounds w/ phosphate groups = organic phosphates
methyl group
in an organic molecule, a carbon bonded to 3 hydrogens
compounds w/ methyl groups = methylated compounds
macromolecule
a giant molecule in a living organism formed by the joining of smaller molecules
a protein, lipid, carbohydrate, or nucleic acid
polymer
a large molecule consisting of many identical or similar molecular units, called monomers, covalently joined together in a chain
monomer
a chemical subunit that serves as a building block of a polymer
dehydration reaction
a chemical process in which 2 molecules become covalently bonded to each other w/ the removal of a water molecule
also called condensation
hydrolysis
a chemical process in which polymers are broken down by the chemical addition of water molecules to the bonds linking their monomers
an essential part of digestion
enyzme
a protein (or RNA molecule) that serves as a biological catalyst, changing the rate of a chemical reaction w/out itself being changed into a different molecule in the process
carbohydrate
member of the class of biological molecules consisting of simple single-monomer sugars (monosaccharides), 2-monomer sugars (disaccharides), & other multiunit sugars (polysaccharides)
monosaccharide
the simplest carbohydrate
a simple sugar w/ a molecular formula that is generally some multiple of CH2O
monosaccharides r the building blocks of disaccharides & polysaccharides
disaccharide
a sugar molecule consisting of 2 monosaccharides linked by a dehydration reaction
polysaccharide
a carbohydrate polymer consisting of 2 hundreds to thousands of monosaccharides (sugars) linked by dehydration synthesis
starch
a storage polysaccharide found in the roots of plants & certain other cells
a polymer of glucose
glycogen
an extensively branched polysaccharide of many glucose monomers
serves as an energy-storage molecule in liver & muscle cells
the animal equivalent of starch
cellulose
a large polysaccharide composed of many glucose monomers linked into cable-like fibrils that provide structural support in plant cell walls
chitin
a structural polysaccharide found in many fungal cell walls & in the exoskeletons of arthropods
lipid
an organic compound consisting of mainly carbon & hydrogen atoms linked by nonpolar covalent bonds, making the compound mostly hydrophobic
lipids include fats, phospholipids, & steroids
insoluble in water
hydrophobic
"water-fearing"
pertaining to nonpolar molecules (or parts of molecules) that don't dissolve in water
