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Which of the following characteristics is responsible for the complexity and variety of organic molecules?

the chemical versatility of carbon atoms

Variations in the reactive properties of different organic molecules are most closely associated with

the presence or absence of functional groups

Organic chemistry is currently defined as

the study of carbon compounds.

Which of the following best describes cis-trans isomers?

they differ in their spatial arrangement around inflexible double bonds

Differences in which of the following chemical characteristics are responsible for the uniqueness of individuals organisms?

types and relative amounts of organic molecules synthesized by each organism

Which of the following molecules has the fewest characteristics of an organic molecule?

water

Citric acid makes lemons taste sour. Which of the following is a functional group that would cause a molecule such as citric acid to be acidic? See Concept 4.3 (Page)

carboxyl

Which functional group is present in this molecule?

carboxyl

Which of the following functional groups gives amino acids their acidic character?

carboxyl

Which two functional groups are always found in amino acids

carboxyl and amino groups

Most organic compounds contain which atoms?

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen

Visualize the structural formula of each of the following hydrocarbons. Which hydrocarbon has a double bond in its carbon skeleton?

C2H4

Which of the following is a hydrocarbon?

C3H8

Variation in carbon chains is an important source of molecular complexity. How can carbon skeletons vary?

Carbon skeletons can vary in length, exhibit different branching structures, contain double bonds at different positions, and contain rings of carbon atoms

A compound contains hydroxyl groups as its predominant functional group. Which of the following properties of the molecule can be predicted with the information provided?

It should dissolve in water.

Which chemical group is most likely to be responsible for an organic molecule behaving as a base?

amino

The large diversity of shapes of biological molecules is possible because of the extensive presence of __________ in the molecules.

carbon

Which complex organic molecules were synthesized in Miller's experiment?

formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, amino acids, hydrocarbons

Molecules that have the same chemical formula (same numbers of each type of atom) but different three-dimensional shapes are called

isomers

Which of the following functional groups is hydrophobic in nature?

methyl

Which of the following functional groups is unreactive but when added to bases of DNA can alter gene expression

methyl

The results from Stanley Miller's 1953 experiments can best be used to support which of the following hypotheses?

organic molecules can be synthesized abiotically under conditions that may have existed on early Earth

Miller's classic experiment demonstrated that a discharge of sparks through a mixture of gases could result in the formation of a large variety of organic compounds. Miller did not use which one of the following gases in his experiment?

oxygen

Choose the term that correctly describes the relationship between these two sugar molecules.

structural isomers