Organic molecule in the context of "Dehydrogenation"

The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a semipermeable biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of a cell from the outside environment (the extracellular space). The cell membrane is a lipid bilayer, usually consisting of phospholipids and glycolipids; eukaryotes and some archaea typically have sterols (such as cholesterol in animals) interspersed between them as well, maintaining appropriate membrane fluidity at various temperatures. The membrane also contains membrane proteins, including integral proteins that span the membrane and serve as transporters, and peripheral proteins that attach to the surface of the cell membrane, acting as enzymes to facilitate interaction with the cell's environment. Glycolipids embedded in the outer lipid layer serve a similar purpose.

The cell membrane controls the movement of substances in and out of a cell, being selectively permeable to ions and organic molecules. In addition, cell membranes are involved in a variety of cellular processes such as cell adhesion, ion conductivity, and cell signaling and serve as the attachment surface for several extracellular structures, including the cell wall and the carbohydrate cell coat called the glycocalyx, as well as the intracellular network of protein fibers called the cytoskeleton. In the field of synthetic biology, cell membranes can be artificially reassembled.

In chemistry, a non-covalent interaction differs from a covalent bond in that it does not involve the sharing of electrons, but rather involves more dispersed variations of electromagnetic interactions between molecules or within a molecule. The chemical energy released in the formation of non-covalent interactions is typically on the order of 1–5 kcal/mol (1000–5000 calories per 6.02×10 molecules). Non-covalent interactions can be classified into different categories, such as electrostatic, π-effects, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic effects.

Non-covalent interactions are critical in maintaining the three-dimensional structure of large molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids. They are also involved in many biological processes in which large molecules bind specifically but transiently to one another (see the properties section of the DNA page). These interactions also heavily influence drug design, crystallinity and design of materials, particularly for self-assembly, and, in general, the synthesis of many organic molecules.

A chemotroph is an organism that obtains energy by the oxidation of electron donors in their environments. These molecules can be organic (chemoorganotrophs) or inorganic (chemolithotrophs). The chemotroph designation is in contrast to phototrophs, which use photons. Chemotrophs can be either autotrophic or heterotrophic. Chemotrophs can be found in areas where electron donors are present in high concentration, for instance around hydrothermal vents.

A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound or metallic ion that is required for an enzyme's role as a catalyst (a catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction). Cofactors can be considered "helper molecules" that assist in biochemical transformations. The rates at which these happen are characterized in an area of study called enzyme kinetics. Cofactors typically differ from ligands in that they often derive their function by remaining bound.

Cofactors can be classified into two types: inorganic ions and complex organic molecules called coenzymes. Coenzymes are mainly derived from vitamins and other organic essential nutrients in small amounts (some definitions limit the use of the term "cofactor" for inorganic substances; both types are included here).

Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and sometimes broadened to include metalloids like boron, silicon, and selenium, as well. Aside from bonds to organyl fragments or molecules, bonds to 'inorganic' carbon, like carbon monoxide (metal carbonyls), cyanide, or carbide, are generally considered to be organometallic as well. Some related compounds such as transition metal hydrides and metal phosphine complexes are often included in discussions of organometallic compounds, though strictly speaking, they are not necessarily organometallic. The related but distinct term "metalorganic compound" refers to metal-containing compounds lacking direct metal-carbon bonds but which contain organic ligands. Metal β-diketonates, alkoxides, dialkylamides, and metal phosphine complexes are representative members of this class. The field of organometallic chemistry combines aspects of traditional inorganic and organic chemistry.

Organometallic compounds are widely used both stoichiometrically in research and industrial chemical reactions, as well as in the role of catalysts to increase the rates of such reactions (e.g., as in uses of homogeneous catalysis), where target molecules include polymers, pharmaceuticals, and many other types of practical products.

A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound or metallic ion that is required for an enzyme's role as a catalyst. Cofactors can be considered "helper molecules" that assist in biochemical transformations. The rates at which these happen are characterized in an area of study called enzyme kinetics. Cofactors typically differ from ligands in that they often derive their function by remaining bound.

Cofactors can be classified into two types: inorganic ions and complex organic molecules called coenzymes. Coenzymes are mainly derived from vitamins and other organic essential nutrients in small amounts (some definitions limit the use of the term "cofactor" for inorganic substances; both types are included here).

The linear molecular geometry describes the geometry around a central atom bonded to two other atoms (or ligands) placed at a bond angle of 180°. Linear organic molecules, such as acetylene (HC≡CH), are often described by invoking sp orbital hybridization for their carbon centers.

According to the VSEPR model (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion model), linear geometry occurs at central atoms with two bonded atoms and zero or three lone pairs (AX₂ or AX₂E₃) in the AXE notation. Neutral AX₂ molecules with linear geometry include beryllium fluoride (F−Be−F) with two single bonds, carbon dioxide (O=C=O) with two double bonds, hydrogen cyanide (H−C≡N) with one single and one triple bond. The most important linear molecule with more than three atoms is acetylene (H−C≡C−H), in which each of its carbon atoms is considered to be a central atom with a single bond to one hydrogen and a triple bond to the other carbon atom. Linear anions include azide (N=N=N) and thiocyanate (S=C=N), and a linear cation is the nitronium ion (O=N=O).

Phosphorus-32 (P) is a radioactive isotope of phosphorus, containing one more neutron than the common and stable isotope of phosphorus, phosphorus-31.

Phosphorus is found in many organic molecules, and so, phosphorus-32 has many applications in medicine, biochemistry, and molecular biology where it can be used to trace phosphorylated molecules (for example, in elucidating metabolic pathways) and radioactively label DNA and RNA.

In chemistry, the Fischer projection, devised by Emil Fischer in 1891, is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional organic molecule by projection. Fischer projections were originally proposed for the depiction of carbohydrates, such as sugars, and used particularly in organic chemistry and biochemistry. The main purpose of Fischer projections is to visualize chiral molecules and distinguish between a pair of enantiomers. The use of Fischer projections in non-carbohydrates is discouraged, as such drawings are ambiguous and easily confused with other types of drawing.

Octatetraynyl radical (C₈H) is an organic free radical with eight carbon atoms linked in a linear chain with alternating single bonds and triple bonds (H−C≡C−C≡C−C≡C−C≡C•).

In 2007 negatively charged octatetraynyl was detected in Galactic molecular source TMC-1, making it the second type of anion to be found in the interstellar medium (after hexatriynyl radical) and the largest such molecule detected to date.