ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at functional groups in molecules rather than looking at molecules in their entirety. It identifies the most important functional groups such as the hydroxyl group, the carboxyl group, the phosphyryl group, and the amino group. The most important structure we can ever learn in biochemistry, is the ester bond. To learn the structure of an ester we have to know the structure of two other molecules: an acid; and an alcohol. The molecule glucose is one of the most important molecules in biochemistry. Structurally, it is an exciting molecule because it has a large number of hydroxyl groups. Biochemicals that contain ester bonds must have basic structural elements of alcohols and acids. Examine the following molecule, glycerol. It comprises 3 carbons with an hydroxyl group at each carbon i.e. a poly-alcohol.
