<h2>Summary of lessons so far</h2>
<p>The unique properties of carbon make it a central part of biological molecules. Carbon binds to oxygen, hydrogen, and <a data-lesson="nitrogen-cycle" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="ecology-overview" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/ecology-overview/nitrogen-cycle">nitrogen</a> covalently to form the many molecules important for cellular function. Carbon has four <a data-lesson="electron-shells-and-bohr-model" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="chemical-foundation-of-life" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/chemical-foundation-of-life/electron-shells-and-bohr-model">electrons</a> in its outermost shell and can form four bonds.</p>
<p>Recall that carbon and <a data-lesson="hydrogen-bonds-and-van-der-waals-interactions" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="chemical-foundation-of-life" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/chemical-foundation-of-life/hydrogen-bonds-and-van-der-waals-interactions">hydrogen</a> can form hydrocarbon chains or rings. Functional groups are groups of <a data-lesson="chemical-reactions-molecules" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="chemical-foundation-of-life" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/chemical-foundation-of-life/chemical-reactions-molecules">atoms</a> that confer specific properties to hydrocarbon (or substituted hydrocarbon) chains or rings that define their overall chemical characteristics and function.</p>
<h2>Glossary of Words</h2>
<h3>Aliphatic hydrocarbon</h3>
<p>hydrocarbon consisting of a linear chain of carbon atoms</p>
<h3>Aromatic hydrocarbon</h3>
<p>hydrocarbon consisting of closed rings of carbon atoms</p>
<h3>Enantiomers</h3>
<p>molecules that share overall structure and bonding patterns, but differ in how the atoms are three dimensionally placed such that they are mirror images of each other</p>
<h3>Functional group</h3>
<p>group of atoms that provides or imparts a specific function to a carbon skeleton</p>
<h3>Geometric isomer</h3>
<p>isomer with similar bonding patterns differing in the placement of atoms alongside a double covalent bond</p>
<h3>Hydrocarbon</h3>
<p>molecule that consists only of carbon and hydrogen</p>
<h3>Isomers</h3>
<p>molecules that differ from one another even though they share the same chemical formula</p>
<h3>Organic molecule</h3>
<p>any molecule containing carbon (except carbon dioxide)</p>
<h3>Structural isomers</h3>
<p>molecules that share a chemical formula but differ in the placement of their chemical bonds</p>
<h3>Substituted hydrocarbon</h3>
<p>hydrocarbon chain or ring containing an atom of another element in place of one of the backbone carbons</p>

ad260561-7f24-4cf8-a3f2-b129f5e47c91

Summarizing Carbon Molecules

Biology studies life and living organisms. Biology can be divided into different sections that cover the morphology, physiology, anatomy, behavior, and so on of living organisms.

Biology

Discover the basic concepts of chemistry that serve as the foundation of life, including the structure of atoms and the periodic table, as well as the role of water, carbon and organic compounds in living organisms.


Summarizing Carbon Molecules

Track Your Learning Progress