ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Chapter 2 g Carbon 's ability to form strong covalent bonds to other carbon atoms is the single property of the carbon atom that- more than any other -accounts for the existence of a field of study called organic chemistr o Carbon's ability to form as many as four strong bonds to other carbon atoms and to form strong bonds to hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen atoms as well provides the necessary versati Utility of structure that makes possible the vast number of different molecules required for complex living organisms o Functional groups: The structural features that make it possible to classify compounds by reactivity. A functional group is a part of a larger molecule and is composed of an atom or a group of atoms that have a characteristic chemical behavior Department of Chemistry, Xiamen UniversityORGANIC CHEMISTRY Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University Chapter 2 Carbon’s ability to form strong covalent bonds to other carbon atoms is the single property of the carbon atom that — more than any other—accounts for the existence of a field of study called organic chemistry. Carbon’s ability to form as many as four strong bonds to other carbon atoms, and to form strong bonds to hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen atoms as well, provides the necessary versatility of structure that makes possible the vast number of different molecules required for complex living organisms. Functional groups: The structural features that make it possible to classify compounds by reactivity. A functional group is a part of a larger molecule and is composed of an atom or a group of atoms that have a characteristic chemical behavior