Chemicals are divided into organic & inorganic Organic complex, large, contain carbon backbone living things are formed from organic molecules Inorganic relatively small and simple most important to biology: water, salts & simple acids & bases
Chemical Bonds Covalent Bonds Bonds in organic molecules are covalent Hydrogen Bonds Important for properties of water Ionic Bonds Found in salts, acids and bases Van der Waals Bonds Hydrophobic Interactions
Covalent Bonds Formed by sharing a pair of electrons The strongest chemical bonds Rarely break spontaneously Average about 80 kcal/mol Can be single, double, triple Can have partial charges creating polar molecules Atoms involved have different electronegativities Water is the most important example of this Bonds in organic molecules are covalent Hydrogen Bonds Formed when a hydrogen atom is shared between two molecules Hydrogen bonds have polarity A hydrogen atom covalently attached to a very electronegative atom (N, O, P) shares its partial positive charge with a second electronegative atom (N, O, P) Hydrogen bonding between water molecules accounts for many properties that sustain life Ionic Bonds Are formed when there is a complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another Are weaker than covalent bonds Usually 4-7 kcal/mol Results in formation of 2 ions, one (+) and one (-) Sodium donates the one electron in its outermost energy level to chlorine, which needs one more electron to fill its outermost energy level Results in Na + and Cl - ions Forms table salt, NaCl All salts, acids and bases are formed through ionic bonds Important in living systems because their ionic charges promote dissociation in water
Van der Waals Bonds Sometimes called Van der Waals forces or interactions Very weak bonds No greater than 1 kcal/mol Formed between non-polar molecules or non- polar parts of molecules The weak bond is created because a bond in one molecule can have a transient dipole and induce a dipole in another bond Hydrophobic Interactions Non-polar molecules cannot form H-bonds with H 2 O Therefore these molecules are hydrophobic (water hating) Tend to aggregate together to avoid contact with water Forces that drive these molecules together are hydrophobic interactions e.g. oil on water Functional Groups Molecular subgroups that stay together
Hydroxyl R OH Alcohols
Carbonyl R C = O Aldehydes | H Carbonyl R C = O Ketones | R
Carboxyl R C = O Carboxylic Acids | OH More Functional Groups Amino R N H Amines | H O - | Phosphate R O P = O Organic Phosphates | O -
Sulfhydryl R SH Thiols
*R stands for any group of atoms that is attached to a functional group by a covalent bond