Key Takeaways

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Organic chemistry involves primarily carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms in molecules, although there are nitrogen, chlorine, bromine, and other molecules as well.

• There is specific nomenclature that defines all organic molecules based on their basic structures, even though many common molecules will have common names.

• There are specific functional groups that help define an organic molecule and that control whether or not they are reactive in an organic chemical reaction.

• The main biochemical molecules are proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and fatty acids or lipids.