Transcript Carbon Compounds

Carbon Compounds
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Organic Compound?
• In Biology, the word
organic means “relating
to organisms.”
• All organic compounds
contain covalently
bound carbon.
• Organic compounds
can also be synthesized
in the lab.
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The Chemistry of Carbon
• Carbon atoms have
four valence (outer
shell) electrons,
allowing carbon to form
covalent bonds with
many elements
including hydrogen,
oxygen, phosphorus,
sulfur and nitrogen.
3
The Chemistry of Carbon Cont.
• Carbon can also bond to other
carbon atoms, which gives
carbon the ability to form chains
that are almost unlimited in
length.
• These carbon-carbon bonds can
be single, double, or triple.
• The chains may be straight,
branched, or even ring-shaped.
• Therefore, carbon is unique in
that it can form millions of
different large and complex
structures.
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Macromolecules
• They are giant molecules
which are made from many
smaller molecules.
• They are formed by a
process known as
polymerization, in which
large compounds are built by
joining smaller ones
together.
– The smaller units, or
monomers, join to form
polymers
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Carbohydrates - Sugars
• Main source of energy for organisms
• Can also be used for structural purposes
• Made of C, H, and O; usually in a 1:2:1
ratio
• The monomers of carbohydrates are
called monosaccharides, like glucose,
fructose (in fruits) and galactose (in milk).
• The breakdown of monosaccharides
supplies immediate energy.
• Usually end in –ose.
• Extra sugar is stored as macromoleucles
called polysaccharides.
• Polysaccharides are made from
monosaccharides.
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How Polysaccharides Are Used
• Many animals store extra sugar as
glycogen.
– Glycogen stored in your muscle
supplies energy for contractions.
– Glycogen stored in your liver is
released when glucose in your blood
runs low.
• Plants store excess sugar as
starch.
• Plants also make cellulose, a
strong, rigid fiber used for support.
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Lipids
• Ex: fats, oils, waxes
• Uses: long-term energy storage,
insulation, waterproof covering, part of
biological membranes, chemical
messengers (steroids)
• contain mostly carbon and hydrogen
• Many lipids are formed when a glycerol
molecule combines with a fatty acid.
– If all carbon atoms have only single
bonds, the lipid is saturated.
– If there is at least one double bond
between carbon atoms, the lipid is
unsaturated.
– Unsaturated lipids like cooking oils
tend to be liquid at room temperature.
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Nucleic Acids
• Store and transmit hereditary, or
genetic, information
• Contain hydrogen, carbon,
nitrogen, oxygen, and
phosphorus
• Nucleic acids are polymers
assembled from individual
monomers known as
nucleotides.
• Nucleotides consist of three
parts: a 5-carbon sugar, a
phosphate group, and a nitrogen
base.
• Examples are DNA and RNA
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Proteins
• Contain nitrogen, carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen.
• The monomers of proteins
are amino acids.
• Proteins provide structural
support in bones and
muscles.
• They form parts of cell
membranes and function as
hormones to regulate the
body.
• They form antibodies to
protect against infection.
• Some proteins also control
the rate of chemical
reactions.
10
Proteins Cont.
• When the amino acids join,
they form a polymer called a
polypeptide. The monomers
are held together by peptide
bonds.
• More than 20 different amino
acids are found in nature.
• Since the R-group varies, it
allows for much variety. That
is why proteins have so many
functions.
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Levels of Organization For Proteins
• This allows for the
unique shape of
proteins.
• Shape is very
important; if a protein
is not the right shape,
it will not work.
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