BIOC 2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Alpha And Beta Carbon, Biomolecule, Carboxylic Acid

• School: University of Windsor
• Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Course: BIOC 2010
• Professor: Michael Boffa

Document Summary

To change configuration you have to break and reform bonds: to convert s into r enantiomer, bonds have to be broken, crucial to biological processes. Most, if not all biomolecules are chiral. Body can only utilize and recognize particular stereoisomers. Conformation: the spatial arrangement of atoms that are free to change their arrangement in space, but only through bond rotation and not through bond breaking. There are some constraints: based on the nature of the different atoms that are substituted on the atom and whether there is space for them to adopt a particular conformation. At certain conformations, the potential energy is higher: relatively unfavourable. Molecules tend to adopt a conformation that has as low energy as possible. What makes them favourable or unfavourable: proximity. More favourable less steric interference with other atoms. Conformation is just about free rotation without breaking and forming bonds. Both are curical for 3d structure of biological molecules and therefore for their biological activitiy.