ABSTRACT
The goal of this chapter is to introduce some basic concepts of organic chemistry, which provide the basis for the reactivity of the several functional groups on biological polymers. While the polymers are diverse, the various functional groups are similar and common in organic chemistry, and, thus, there are some general concepts that apply to proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides; reactivity of alkyl hydroxyl groups is one example as such would include serine or threonine hydroxyl in proteins, the ring hydroxyl groups in ribose/deoxyribose in nucleic acids, and ring hydroxyls in polysaccharides. Likewise, amino groups are present on proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides.
