Organic Chemistry Fundamentals Flashcards

Which type of reaction joins amino acids together to form proteins?

Answer: Condensation (peptide bond formation)

Condensation (dehydration synthesis) links amino acids via peptide bonds, releasing a water molecule for each bond formed.

A disaccharide is a carbohydrate composed of how many monosaccharide units?

Answer: Two

A disaccharide consists of exactly two monosaccharide units joined by a glycosidic bond; sucrose and lactose are common examples.

What chemical transformation converts a primary alcohol into an aldehyde?

Answer: Oxidation

Oxidation of a primary alcohol removes two hydrogen atoms, raising the oxidation state of the carbon and producing an aldehyde.

What structural feature distinguishes unsaturated fatty acids from saturated fatty acids?

Answer: Presence of one or more C=C double bonds

Unsaturated fatty acids contain one or more carbon-carbon double bonds (C=C) in their hydrocarbon chains, while saturated fatty acids have only single bonds.

Which three components make up a nucleotide?

Answer: A phosphate group, pentose sugar, and nitrogenous base

A nucleotide is composed of a phosphate group, a pentose sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and a nitrogenous base — the monomeric building blocks of DNA and RNA.

When a halogen replaces a hydrogen atom on an alkane under UV light, which type of reaction occurs?

Answer: Free-radical substitution reaction

Halogenation of alkanes is a free-radical substitution reaction where a halogen atom replaces a hydrogen atom on the alkane chain.

Which monosaccharide serves as the primary fuel molecule for cellular respiration in the human body?

Answer: Glucose

Glucose (C6H12O6) is the main substrate for cellular respiration, being broken down through glycolysis and the citric acid cycle to produce ATP.