Download Carbon Compounds

Carbon Compounds
Chapter 2-3
Carbon Compounds
• Organic chemistry = study of carbon compounds
– Carbon can bond with many other elements
(hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, etc…)
– Carbon can bond to other carbon atoms
– No other element comes close to matching
carbon’s versatility
Macromolecules
• Carbon often forms long chains of atoms.
• These “giant molecules” are called
macromolecules.
• These macromolecules are formed through a
process called polymerization (monomers link
together to form polymers)
Types of Organic
Compounds
• There are four groups of organic
compounds found in living things:
–Carbohydrates
–Lipids
–Nucleic Acids
–Proteins
Carbohydrates
• Made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
in ratios of 1:2:1
• Living things use carbohydrates as their
main source of energy.
• Plants and some animals also use
carbohydrates for structural purposes.
Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates = sugars
• Simple carbs supply immediate
energy for all cell activities.
• Complex carbs (starches) store extra
sugar for living things.
Carbohydrates
• Monosaccharides = single sugar
molecules
– Examples: glucose, sucrose, fructose
• Polysaccharides = large chains of sugar
– Examples: glycogen (animal starch) and
cellulose (plant starch)
Lipids
• Made of extremely long chains of carbon and
hydrogen
• Examples: fats, oils, waxes
• Lipids can be used to store energy.
• Some lipids are important parts of biological
membranes and waterproof coverings.
Nucleic Acids
• Macromolecules made up of hydrogen,
oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus
• Nucleic acids are put together by
monomers called nucleotides.
• The most famous nucleic acid is DNA.
Nucleic Acids
• Nucleotides consist of 3 parts:
–a 5-carbon sugar
–a phosphate group
–a nitrogenous (nitrogen containing)
base
Nucleic Acids
• Nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary
(genetic) information.
• There are 2 kinds of nucleic acids:
– Ribonucleic acid (RNA), which contains the
sugar ribose
– Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which contains
the sugar deoxyribose
Proteins
• Macromolecules made up of nitrogen,
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
• Proteins are polymers of molecules called
amino acids.
• There are more than 20 different amino
acids found in nature.
Proteins
• Proteins help to:
–Carry out chemical reactions
–Transport small molecules in and
out of cells
–Fight diseases
Proteins
• Some proteins (enzymes) control the
rate of reactions and regulate cell
processes.
• Some are used to form bones and
muscles.
Conclusion
• These four organic macromolecules
are found in all living things:
–Carbohydrates
–Lipids
–Nucleic Acids
–Proteins