Download Notes 6.4 - St. Ignace Area Schools

Notes 6.4
An organic compound is a covalently bonded compound that contains
carbon.
Carbon atoms form four covalent bonds in organic compounds.
Hydrocarbons are a combination of Hydrogen and carbon.
Alkanes are hydrocarbons that form only single covalent bonds. (See
figure 3 on page 199)
Alkanes are bonded in a single line because it is their only possible
arrangement.
Alkenes have double carbon-carbon bonds. They are hydrocarbons with
at least one double carbon bond.
Alcohols are organic compounds that are made up of oxygen, carbon
and hydrogen that are called hydroxyl groups.
Alcohols behave much like water.
A polymer is a molecule that is a long chain made of smaller molecules.
Poly means MANY!
There are natural polymers – wood, rubber, cotton, protein and DNA.
There are also man made polymers such as plastics, rope, carpet and
turf on football fields.
A small piece of plastic contains billions of polymers!
Biochemicals, which are essential to life, include carbohydrates,
proteins, and DNA.
Carbohydrates give you energy, protein form important parts of your
body, and DNA gives your body information about what proteins you
need.
Many Carbohydrates are made of glucose, these energy giving
compounds come in many forms. Our body gets them from the food
we eat.
Proteins are complex polymers of amino acids.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Your digestive system
breaks down the proteins into the amino acids and your cells bond with
the acids to form the proteins your body needs.
DNA is a polymer that stores genetic information. These are known as
your genes.
DNA is in the form of a double helix that resembles a twisted ladder.
The DNA monomers are called, Adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine
and they pair in a predictable way .