Biochemistry for Medical Biology
First Semester, S/Y 2022 – 2023
Organic Reactions
Explain each organic reaction in your own words and give an example of it.
Organic Reaction Description
(5 pts)
Addition An addition reaction is an organic
reaction in which two or more
molecules combine to generate a
bigger one.
Substitution Substitution is defined as a
reaction in which the functional
group of one chemical compound
is substituted by another group or
it is a reaction which involves the
replacement of one atom or a
molecule of a compound with
another atom or molecule.
Polymerization Polymerization is a process by
which an organic compound
reacts with itself to form a high‐
molecular‐weight compound
composed of repeating units of the
original compound.
Fermentation Fermentation is a chemical
process by which molecules such
as glucose are broken down
anaerobically.
Saponification Saponification is the process in
which a triacylglyceride is reacted
with aqueous hydroxide ion to
Example
(3 pts)
The simplest addition
reaction is hydrogenation.
This is a reaction in which
hydrogen gas reacts at a
carbon-to-carbon double or
triple bond or a carbon-to-
oxygen double bond to add
hydrogen atoms to carbon
atoms.
An example of a
substitution reaction is the
chlorination of methane.
Chlorine breaks the carbon-
hydrogen bond to bond with
the carbon to form methyl
chloride.
Polymerization reactions are
chain reactions, and the
formation of Teflon from
tetrafluoroethylene is one
example. In this reaction, a
peroxide (a compound in
which two oxygen atoms
are joined together by a
single covalent bond) may
be used as the initiator.
For example, yeast performs
fermentation to obtain
energy by converting sugar
into alcohol. Bacteria
perform fermentation,
converting carbohydrates
into lactic acid.
An example of
Saponification Reaction is
when triglyceride reacts
 form a mixture of glycerol and with sodium hydroxide
fatty acid salts (soaps). (solid foundation) and
glycerol is produced (acid)
and soap (sodium
palmitate). Similarly,
potassium soap can be
formed when a strong
potassium base (such as
KOH) is formed by an ester.
Esterification Esterification is the process of Chemistry behind cosmetics
combining an organic acid with an and fragrance are one of the
alcohol to form an ester and examples of esterification
water. It is a chemical reaction
resulting in the formation of at
least one ester product.
Combustion A combustion reaction also For example, when wood
known as burning, is an burns, it must do so in the
exothermic reaction in which presence of O2 and a lot of
something reacts with oxygen. heat is produced.
Fracking Fracking is a process that uses Examples of Fracking
high-pressure fluid injections to include oil, natural gas and
shatter rock formations and geothermal energy.
extract natural gas.