[Card1ologist]

Hi all,

I recently took quiz for an introductory biochemistry class and was asked to identify the carbonyl functional groups of a particular molecule (attached to this post). My logic was to consider amides as their own functional group, and not to acknowledge the carbonyl constituent, hence my answer of 1. But, as it turns out, the carbonyl substituents should have been acknowledged. However, the day before the quiz and in tutorial, we were asked to identify specific functional groups in the molecule guanine, among those being ketones, amides, and amines. We acknowledged the presence of the amide, but did not count the ketone or the amine. I feel a little bit misled, as in the quiz we needed to count the ketone/carbonyl, even in the amide functional groups. I just wanted to get another opinion on this to see if I could bring this up in the next office hours for a possible grade correction, or to just leave it be.

[Hunter2]

How you can find one, with your logic. It would be 0, because all of them are amids. So you have to count all C=O groups on the other hand and this would be how many?

[Borek]

I believe you misinterpreted what you were told. Carbonyl is present in many groups, not all of them being ketones. And while all functional groups have their own properties, carbonyl quite often reacts on its own (retains its own properties) no matter what functional groups it is in.

In a way you were asked to show all screws in the car, but you omitted lug bolts assuming they are part of wheels.

[Card1ologist]

Ah I see, this does make sense. Thank you all for the input! I'll acknowledge this as my own error and improve for the future.

[Babcock_Hall]

As a self-study exercise, you could find all of the functional groups which contain the carbonyl group.

[rolnor]

The carbonyl in the pyridine-ring is  present as phenol as well, a hydroxy-pyridine, a tautomere
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-Pyridone