Functional groups
.
In Organic Chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within
molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction(s) regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of. If we replaced the H-atoms in ethene with CH3 groups, that would be a methyl group.
Functional groups are attached to the carbon backbone of organic molecules. They determine the characteristics and chemical reactivity of molecules. Functional groups are far less stable than the carbon backbone and are likely to participate in chemical reactions.
Six common biological functional groups are
hydrogen, hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, amino, phosphate, and methyl.
The following is a list of common functional groups.In the formulas, the symbols R and R'
usually denotes an attached hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon side chain of any length, but may sometimes refer to any group of atoms. The first carbon after the carbon that attaches to the functional group is
called the alpha carbon.Combining the names of functional groups with the names of the parent alkanes generates a powerful systematic nomenclature for naming organic compounds. Unfortunately not all listings of functional groups agree, and the British system avoids functional groups altogether, maintaining that it is a
categorization that obscures what is really going on in organic chemistry.
The non-hydrogen atoms of functional groups are always associated with each other and with the rest of the molecule by covalent bonds. When the group of atoms is associated with the rest of the molecule primarily by ionic forces, the group is referred to more properly as a polyatomic ion or complex ion. And all
of these are called radicals, by a meaning of the term radical that predates the free radical.
Notice that some important classes of molecules, like cyclic aromatics (conjugated hydrocarbon rings) and heterocycles (related) are not listed.
A (more useful) table of the main functional groups that are important in elementary biochemistry (but several are omitted).
Finally some infrared spectra to show how these types of groups can actually be identified in the spectra of planets and other astronomical objects.
.
In Organic Chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within
molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction(s) regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of. If we replaced the H-atoms in ethene with CH3 groups, that would be a methyl group.
Functional groups are attached to the carbon backbone of organic molecules. They determine the characteristics and chemical reactivity of molecules. Functional groups are far less stable than the carbon backbone and are likely to participate in chemical reactions.
Six common biological functional groups are
hydrogen, hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, amino, phosphate, and methyl.
The following is a list of common functional groups.In the formulas, the symbols R and R'
usually denotes an attached hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon side chain of any length, but may sometimes refer to any group of atoms. The first carbon after the carbon that attaches to the functional group is
called the alpha carbon.Combining the names of functional groups with the names of the parent alkanes generates a powerful systematic nomenclature for naming organic compounds. Unfortunately not all listings of functional groups agree, and the British system avoids functional groups altogether, maintaining that it is a
categorization that obscures what is really going on in organic chemistry.
The non-hydrogen atoms of functional groups are always associated with each other and with the rest of the molecule by covalent bonds. When the group of atoms is associated with the rest of the molecule primarily by ionic forces, the group is referred to more properly as a polyatomic ion or complex ion. And all
of these are called radicals, by a meaning of the term radical that predates the free radical.
Notice that some important classes of molecules, like cyclic aromatics (conjugated hydrocarbon rings) and heterocycles (related) are not listed.
A (more useful) table of the main functional groups that are important in elementary biochemistry (but several are omitted).
Finally some infrared spectra to show how these types of groups can actually be identified in the spectra of planets and other astronomical objects.
