8 Functional Groups of Chemistry

• Hydroxyl 


  OH: makes compounds polar and increases their solubility in water

  
• Carbonyl 


  c=o: influences reactivity and boiling points of compounds

  
• Carboxyl 


  COOH: makes a compound an acid

  
• Amino


  NH2: acts as base and can accept protons
• Sulfhydryl


  SH: can form disulfide bonds, important in stabilizing protein
• Phosphate


  PO4: key in energy transfer (ATP) and in the structure of DNA and RNA

  
• Methyl 


  CH3: A nonpolar group that can affect the solubility and reactivity of organic molecules

  
• Ether


  This group connects two hydrocarbon chains and affects their physical properties, such as boiling point and solubility.