Carboxyl group

Carboxyl group

Carboxyl group or CO2H is a functional group present in amino acids and carboxylic acids. Its structure is composed of one carbon atom attached to an oxygen atom by a double bond and to a hydroxyl group by a single bond. It is often mentioned that a carboxyl group is a carbonyl group bonded to a hydroxyl group. The carboxyl group has one valence electron in its carbon atom, making it possible to be a part in a larger molecule by bonding through it. Carboxyl groups can only occur at the end of a carbon chain, because the carbon must make 3 bonds (O double bond and single bond to hydroxyl group) in addition to its connection to the R group.

Carboxyl groups will often lend their OH H+ into solution and therefore will act as acids. This is the case with carboxylic acids, such as is the case when acetic acid lends its H+ into solution to become acetate.

See also

* Amino acid
* Carboxylic acid

References

* [http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/C/carboxyl.html Entry from the Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight] .
* [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-carbxylgr.html Highbeam Encyclopedia] .


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • carboxyl group — car*box yl group (k[aum]r*b[o^]ks [i^]l gr[=oo]p), n. (Chem.) a monovalent organic radical (written { COOH}, { CO2H} or { CO.OH}) whose presence confers acidic properties on the compound containing it; called also {carboxylic group}.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • carboxyl group — n CARBOXYL …   Medical dictionary

  • carboxyl group — noun the univalent radical COOH; present in and characteristic of organic acids • Syn: ↑carboxyl • Derivationally related forms: ↑carboxyl (for: ↑carboxyl), ↑carboxylic (for: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • carboxyl group — /kaˈbɒksəl grup / (say kah boksuhl groohp) noun a univalent group, –COOH, present in all organic acids. Also, carboxyl radical. {carb + ox(ygen) + yl} …  

  • carboxyl group — noun see carboxyl …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • carboxyl group — the univalent radical COOH, present in and characteristic of organic acids. [1875 80] * * * …   Universalium

  • carboxyl — The characterizing group ( COOH) of certain organic acids; e.g., HCOOH (formic acid), CH3COOH (acetic acid), CH3CH(NH2)COOH (alanine), etc. Cf.:carboxylic acid. * * * car·box·yl kär bäk səl n a monovalent group COOH typical of organic acids… …   Medical dictionary

  • carboxyl — noun Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary Date: 1869 a monovalent functional group or radical –COOH typical of organic acids called also carboxyl group • carboxylic adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • carboxyl — carboxylic, adj. /kahr bok sil/, adj. containing the carboxyl group. [1865 70; CARB + OX(YGEN) + YL] * * * …   Universalium

  • carboxyl methyltransferase — noun Any enzyme that catalyzes the methylation of a carboxyl group …   Wiktionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”