Essential organic chemistry / Bruice, Paula Yurkanis.

Remembering general chemistry : electronic structure and bonding -- Acids and bases : central to understanding organic chemistry -- An introduction to organic compounds -- Isomers : the arrangement of atoms in space -- Alkenes -- The reactions of alkenes and alkynes -- Delocalized electrons and their effect on stability pKa, and the products of a reaction ; Aromaticity and the reactions of benzene -- Substitution and elimination reactions of alkyl halides -- Reactions of alcohols, ethers, epoxieds, amines, and thiols -- Determining the structure of organic compounds -- Reactions of carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid derivatives -- Reactions of aldehydes and ketones ; More reactions of carboxylic acid derivatives -- Reactions at the α-Carbon of carbonyl compounds -- Radicals -- Synthetic polymers -- The organic chemistry of carbohydrates -- The organic chemistry of amino acids, peptides, and proteins -- How enzymes catalyze reactions ; The organic chemistry of the vitamins -- The organic chemistry of the metabolic pathways -- The organic chemistry of lipids -- The chemistry of the nucleic acids.

For one-term course in organic chemistry taken by pre-health profession majors.Designed for a one-term course, this organic chemistry text helps students see organic chemistry as an interesting and exciting science--and encourages the development of their critical-thinking skills. Bruice presents reactions with enough detail to give students a solid understanding of reactivity, rather than rote memorization. Once students understand the reasons behind the reactivity of organic compounds, they will be better prepared to understand the reactions involved in such areas as metabolism, PCR, and genetic engineering. The Second Edition has been revised throughout to make the material more accessible for students.