carbon atom

• carbon skeleton variation factors

  • length
  • branching
  • double bond position
  • presence of ring
• hydrocarbon isomers: structural isomer

  • differ in covalent arrangements
  • can have same amount of atoms, but slight change in double/single bond locations change molecule identity
• carbon forms single and double covalent bonds in organic molecules
• hydrocarbons

  • fats: long hydrocarbon tails + nonhydrocarbon head
  • hydrophobic because most of their bonds are nonpolar
  • undergo rxns that release energy in large amounts
• structural isomers:

  • differ in covalent arrangements
  • number of possible isomers increases tremendously as carbon skeletons increase in size
• cis-trans isomers:

  • covalent bonds to the same atoms, but differ in their spatial arrangements due to inflexible double bonds
  • cis: H atoms on same side
  • trans: H atoms on opposite sides
• enantiomer isomers:

  • mirror images of each other due to asymmetric carbon
  • mirror imaged but have different functions as a molecule
• biological functional groups:

  • hydroxyl (-OH): polar/hydrophilic/alcohol
  • carbonyl (C=O): polar/hydrophilic/ketone and aldehyde
  • carboxyl (-COOH): polar/hydrophilic/carboxylic acid and organic acid
  • amino (-NH2): polar/hydrophilic/amine
  • sulfhydryl (-SH): polar/hydrophilic/thiol
  • phosphate (-POP3): polar/hydrophilic/organic phosphate
  • methyl (-CH3): nonpolar/hydrophobic/methylated compound
• functional groups: number and arrangement of chemical groups on hydrocarbons give each organic molecule unique properties

  • contribute to function by affecting molecules shape
  • steroids and sex hormones
• adenosine triphosphate (ATP): an organic molecule (adenosine) attached to a string of 3 phosphate groups

  • one phosphate (HOPO3) leaves when reacting w water -> ATP turns into ADP
  • has the potential to react with water or other molecules and releases energy
• polymer: long molecule of similar building blocks joined together by covalent bonds

  • building blocks of a polymer: monomers
• enzyme: special macromolecules that catalyze/speed up a chemical reaction

  • usually protein
• dehydration reaction: the removal of water to form a molecule

  condensation/hydrolysis reaction: the addition of water to break a molecule
• hydrolysis breaks down polymers into monomers

  • ex: digestion