Transcript Carbon
Carbon Ch 4 Chemistry of Life Organic Chemistry – study of carbon compds •C atoms are versatile building blocks •bonding properties…complexity/diversity to living matter •4 stable covalent bonds •p50-51 Fig 4.2, 4.4 Hydrocarbons •Combinations of C and H •Non-polar •Hydrophobic Methane •Store lg amts of energy •stable •very little attraction between molecules Variations in C - Skeleton Isomers •Same molecular formula but different structures (shapes) -different chemical properties and biological functions 6 carbons 6 carbons 6 carbons Structural Isomers – differ in arrangements of atoms Geometric Isomers – variation in arrangement about a double bond Thalidomide Enantiomers – variation in spatial Arrangement around an asymmetric carbon…molecules that are mirror images stereoisomers Functional Groups • Parts of organic molecules that are involved in chemical reactions – give organic molecules distinctive properties hydroxyl carbonyl carboxyl amino sulfhydryl phosphate • Affect reactivity – makes hydrocarbons hydrophilic – increase solubility in water Why do Functional Groups Matter? • Basic structure of male & female hormones is identical – identical carbon skeleton – attachment of different functional groups – interact with different targets in the body • different effects Hydroxyl • –OH = alcohols – names typically end in -ol • ethanol Carbonyl • C=O • if C=O at end molecule = aldehyde • if C=O in middle of molecule = ketone • Emma is awesome Carboxyl • –COOH • compounds with COOH = acids – fatty acids – amino acids Amino • -NH2 • compounds with NH2 = amines – amino acids • NH2 acts as base – ammonia picks up H+ from solution Sulfhydryl • –SH • compounds with SH = thiols • SH groups stabilize the structure of proteins Phosphate • –PO4 • connects to C through an O • lots of O = lots of negative charge – highly reactive • transfers energy between organic molecules – ATP, GTP, etc. Functional Groups Excellent Flash Tutorial http://telstar.ote.cmu.edu/biology/supplements/functional-group/