Chapter 4: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

38728525	organic chemistry	the branch of chemistry that specializes in the study of carbon compounds
38728526	vitalism	the belief in a life force outside the jurisdiction of physical and chemical laws
38728527	mechanism	the view that physical and chemical laws govern all natural phenomena, including the processes of life
38728528	hydrocarbons	organic molecules consisting only of carbon and hydrogen; atoms of hydrogen are attached to the carbon skeleton wherever electrons are available; not present in living organisms, but cells' organic molecules have regions that contain these
38728529	isomers	compounds that have the same numbers of atoms of the same elements but different structures and therefore different properties
38728530	geometric isomer	an isomer in which there are identical covalent partnerships, but they differ in spatial arrangements; differences arise from flexibility of single bonds
38728531	structural isomer	an isomer in which there are different covalent arrangements of atoms; location of double bonds can differ
38728532	enantiomer	isomers that are mirror images of each other; cannot be rearranged because of bonding or shape
38728533	functional groups	important chemical groups that affect a molecule's shape and the chemical reactions of a molecule