Download Organic Compounds (Macromolecules) 6A: Identify that organic

Organic Compounds (Macromolecules)
6A: Identify that organic compounds contain carbon and other elements such as
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus or sulfur.
6C: Recognize how large molecules are broken down into smaller molecules such as
carbohydrates can be broken down into sugars.
1. Macromolecule – a very large molecule. (Macro means large) Made up of smaller
molecules linked together to make a long chain. Like a train made of individual cars.
2. Organic Compound – any compound containing the element carbon along with any of
the following: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur.
3. Organic Macromolecules – large organic compounds. There are 4 main types:
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
4. Carbohydrates – hydrated carbon (water added to carbon); made by plants during
photosynthesis; used by most organisms as the main source of energy.



Made of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.
Ex: Glucose: C6H12O6 ; Ribose : C5H10O5
Two main types: Simple and Complex
1) Simple Carbs – sugars, found in fruits and milk. Glucose, the simplest sugar is the
main source of energy for body cells. The body turns all other carbs into glucose.
2) Complex Carbs – made of long chains of glucose molecules; three main types:
 Fiber – plant matter that can’t be broken down during digestion
 Starch – energy storage molecule for plants (vegetables and grains)
 Glycogen – short term energy storage molecule for animals
GLUCOSE
GLUCOSE
GLUCOSE
GLUCOSE
GLUCOSE
5. Lipids – fats and oils; an animal’s form of stored energy




Also made of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, a lot of C and H with just a little O
Ex: Cooking Oil: C55H98O6
Glycerin backbone (C and O) with 3 fatty acid tails (a bunch of C and H)
Can be saturated or unsaturated
1) Saturated Fats – animal fats; solid at room temp: butter, sour cream, egg yolk
2) Unsaturated Fats – plant oils; liquid at room temp: cooking oils
G
L
Y
C
E
R
I
N
FATTY ACID TAIL
FATTY ACID TAIL
FATTY ACID TAIL
6. Proteins – large, complex molecules; used for tissue (muscle, skin, nerve) growth and
repair; play a large part in chemical reactions in the body.



Made of C, H, O, and N
Found in meat, dairy products, nuts, and beans
Made of long chains of Amino Acids linked together
 There are 20 types of AA’s, your body makes half of them, you must get the rest
from meat you eat.
AA
AA
AA
AA
AA
7. Nucleic Acids – very large, very complex organic compounds that hold all instructions for
all an organism’s processes. It’s the NA in DNA and RNA!
 Made of C, H, O, N, P, and S
 Carbohydrate backbone with protein (nitrogen) “teeth”
 Make up DNA (in the nucleus) and RNA (outside the nucleus)