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Discussion

Cell Bio: Identifying Molecules

I can easily see the functional groups, Hydroxyl, Carbonyl, Carboxyl, Amino, Phosphate, etc. However, when it comes to naming the exact molecule shown in a carbon skeleton structure I get lost. I can figure out, for instance, that it is a sugar, just not which sugar it might be. I hope I am making sense in explaining my problem. Does anyone know of any websites or books that might have practice with naming and perhaps memorizing molecules? Our instructor is behind in lecture and we need to do this for our pre lab assignment.

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It depends on the molecule, and is heavily based on the IUPAC naming standards. Go dust off your Gen Chem textbook and look over the organic compound naming conventions that you covered in Gen Chem II.

As for sugars, carbohydrates all go by their common names and not IUPAC names, which would be a mouthful. Make a fun chart for yourself, dividing the carbohydrates into 3, 4, 5, and 6 chain-length sugars, and then listing them and their structures, noting where the hydroxy groups are in relation to the plane of the molecule. The Google Machine works perfectly well for this kind of thing, though I would recommend the Michigan State link out of the top five on that search.

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I think that might be part of my problem. We never covered this in the chem class that was the pre-req to this bio class. Thanks for the tips, I will certainly check out the link you mentioned as well as look into some chemistry books to find the material.

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