Molecular Biology Chapter 4 Outline

Front 1

All living organisms are composed of chemicals based mainly on the element carbon.

Back 1

1. Carbon enters the atmosphere through the actions of plants.
2. The molecules of plants are then taken in by plant eating animals (herbivores).

Front 2

Characteristics of carbon.

Back 2

1. Forms large and complex molecules usually in the form of rings or chains.
2. Can bond with up to four other atoms (usually H, N O).
3. Establishes stable bonds due to electron arrangement.
4. Creates covalent bonds.

Front 3

Organic Chemistry

Back 3

Branch of chemistry that pertains to the study of C-containing compounds.

Front 4

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids are all examples of what?

Back 4

Organic compounds

Front 5

Proportions of what are uniform from one organism to another?

Back 5

C, H, O, N, S, and P (DNA)

Front 6

Due to electron arrangement, carbon establishes what?

Back 6

Stable bonds

Front 7

What type of bonds does carbon create?

Back 7

covalent

Front 8

Miller Urey Experiment

Back 8

Stanley Miller and Harold Urey showed that complex organic molecules could arise spontaneously under conditions thought to have existed on early earth.

Front 9

All organic compounds C, but not all C-containing compounds are...

Back 9

Organic

Front 10

Due to its great versatility a great variety of organic molecules can be built from these atomic building blocks.

Back 10

Carbon

Front 11

The Miller-Urey experiment was designed to mimic what?

Back 11

Volcanic conditions

Front 12

Vitalism

Back 12

Belief in a life force outside the jurisdiction physiochemical laws that govern organic chemistry.

Front 13

Vitalism believed that organic chemicals could only be produced from what?

Back 13

Living organisms

Front 14

Vitalism fell after decades of what?

Back 14

Lab synthesis of increasingly complex organic compounds.

Front 15

Mechanism

Back 15

Belief that physiochemical laws govern all natural phenomenon including the processes of life.

Front 16

The foundation of organic chemistry is not some intangible life force, but is....

Back 16

the unique chemical properties of carbon

Front 17

Carbon has how many valence electrons?

Back 17

4

Front 18

How many electrons does carbons valence shell hold?

Back 18

8

Front 19

What types of covalent bonds are usually formed by carbon?

Back 19

single or double

Front 20

When carbon forms single bonds what is the geometry and bond angle?

Back 20

Tetrahedral geometry with 109.5 degree bond angles.

Front 21

Carbons electron configuration allows it to do what?

Back 21

Covalently bond with many different atoms

Front 22

The skeletons of most organic compounds are formed from...

Back 22

Carbon chains

Front 23

What are the properties of carbon skeletons?

Back 23

1. Length varies
2. Skeletons may contain double bonds
Skeletons may be straight, branched or ringed.

Front 24

Hydrocarbons

Back 24

Organic molecules consisting of only hydrogen and carbon.

Front 25

Properties of Hydrocarbons

Back 25

1. Not prevalent in living organisms.
2. Tend to be hydrophobic.
3. Release relatively large amounts of energy.
4. Major component of petroleum (fossil fuels)

Front 26

Isomers

Back 26

Compounds that have the same numbers of atoms, but different structures and different properties.

Front 27

Structural Isomers

Back 27

Differ in covalent arrangements.

Front 28

Cis-trans isomers

Back 28

Have covalent bonds to some atoms, but differ in spatial arrangements due to inflexibility of double bonds; creates dramatic effects on biological activities.

Front 29

Enantiomers

Back 29

Isomers that are mirror images of each other, differ in shape due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon (one that is attached to four different atoms or groups of atoms)

Front 30

Functional Groups

Back 30

Specific configurations of atoms commonly attached to the c-skeletons of organic molecules and are involved in chemical reactions

Front 31

Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP)

Back 31

Organic molecule - adenosine - attached to a string of 3 phosphate groups; releases/stores energy used by the cell.