Acetyl group

The acetyl group is the acyl group CH₃C(=O)–, formed by removing the hydroxyl group from acetic acid. It appears in molecules such as acetyl-CoA and acetylcholine.

Acyl group: A functional group with the structure R–C(=O)–, derived from a carboxylic acid by removing its hydroxyl group. The acetyl group is the specific acyl group whose R group is methyl.
Acetylation: A chemical reaction that adds an acetyl group to a molecule. It is the direct reaction that installs acetyl on a substrate.
Acetyl-CoA: A coenzyme-bound acetyl donor that carries a two-carbon unit in metabolism. It is the central biological carrier of transferable acetyl groups.
Formyl group: The acyl group H–C(=O)–, containing hydrogen rather than methyl beside the carbonyl. It differs from acetyl by one substituent at the carbonyl carbon.
Carbonyl group: A functional group consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to oxygen. Its polarized C=O bond gives the acetyl carbon its characteristic reactivity.
Deacetylation: A chemical reaction that removes an acetyl group from a molecule. It reverses acetylation by cleaving the substrate’s acetyl attachment.
Acetylcholine: A neurotransmitter formed from choline and an acetyl group. Its acetyl portion is essential to the molecule’s identity and synthesis.
Propionyl group: The acyl group CH₃CH₂C(=O)–, containing one more carbon than acetyl. It is the next higher homolog of acetyl among straight-chain acyl groups.
Methyl group: The alkyl group –CH₃, consisting of one carbon bonded to three hydrogen atoms. A methyl group bonded to the carbonyl defines acetyl’s structure.
Acetyl chloride: An acid chloride with the formula CH₃COCl, used as a reactive acetylating agent. Its activated acyl bond readily transfers acetyl to nucleophiles.

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