1.6 CHAPTER 1. ORGANICMOLECULES
1.6 Functional groups
All organic compoundshave a particular bondor group of atoms which we call its
functional group. This group is important in determining how a compound will react.DEFINITION: Functional group
In organic chemistry, afunctional group is a specific group of atoms
within molecules, that are responsible for the characteristic chemical
reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo
the same or similar chemical reaction(s) regardless of the size of the
molecule it is a part of.In one group of organiccompounds called the hydrocarbons, the single, double and
triple bonds of the alkanes, alkenes and alkynesare examples of functional groups. In
another group, the alcohols, an oxygen and a hydrogen atom are bondedto each other
to form the functional group for those compounds (in other words an alcohol has an
OH in it). All alcoholswill contain an oxygenand a hydrogen atom bonded together
in some part of the molecule.Table 1.1 summarises some of the common functional groups. We will look at these in
more detail later in thischapter.