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Organic Chemistry Notes
Organic Chemistry is the chemistry of organic compounds.
 All organic compounds contain carbon.
 Many of these compounds come from living things.
 The majority of compounds existing in nature are organic.
Why is carbon so prevalent in these compounds?
- The structure of carbon allows it to easily bond with other atoms
A. Carbohydrates
Organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.
Sugars and starches are your carbohydrates
Living things use carbohydrates as an energy source.
Some organisms use carbohydrates as a type of structural support
1. Monosaccharides – these are the simplest carbohydrates, also called simple sugars.
Glucose and fructose are examples.
3, 5, or 6 Carbon atoms are generally present in monosaccharides
2. Disaccharides – two covalently bonded monosaccharides
Sucrose = glucose + fructose
Lactose = glucose + galactose
Maltose = glucose + glucose
3. Polysaccharides – giant polymers consisting of thousands of linked monosaccharides.
Starch and Cellulose
- wheat, rice, corn, potatoes
- plants convert glucose to starch
- animals store excess sugars into glycogen
- plants produce cellulose for support
- chitin
B. Lipids
Organic compounds that include fats, oils, waxes, and steroids.
Generally composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen similar to carbs, but in different ratios.
1. Fats – compound composed of glycerol and 3 fatty acids.
Used for energy storage and insulation.
Excess carbs are converted to fats as a means of energy storage.
a.) Fatty acids are a string of carbon atoms with an acid group on the end.
Structure of these fatty acids determine the characteristics of a fat.
Approximately 30 fatty acids in animals.
Saturated vs. Unsaturated
Bonds between fatty acids containing many hydrogen bonds are considered
saturated.(Saturated with hydrogen) These substances are typically solid at room
temperature.
Bonds between fatty acids that do not contain many hydrogen atoms are unsaturated and
liquid at room temp. i.e. oils
2. Phospholipids – Lipids that contain phosphorous in the form of phosphate.
Major component of cell membranes.
Control movement in and out of cells
3. Steroids – Lipids composed of four linked rings of carbon atoms.
Ex. Cholesterol
Hormones – special chemicals produced in the body that control the
functions of other parts of the body.
4. Waxes – organic compounds composed of fatty acids and alcohols.
C. Proteins - Organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and
sometimes sulfur.
Essential to all living things
Ex. - Muscles, hair, and skin
All proteins are polymers of Amino Acids.
1. Amino Acids – these are the building blocks of proteins
 A.A. is a compound that contains an amino group –NH2 a carboxyl group
–COOH and a side group. The side group determines the a.a.’s identity.
 Organisms use the same 20 aa’s in making proteins. The different combos
of aa’s make the different proteins.
 A.A. are held together by covalent bonds.
 Amino groups are held together by peptide bonds.
 The bond between an amino group and a carboxyl group is called a
peptide bond.
2. Proteins serve many functions
a.) Movement – actin and myosin in muscle fibers
b.) Structure – Collagen (our connective tissue)
c.) Biochemical Control – Enzymes and chemical reactions
d.) Transport – Hemoglobin (transports oxygen in the blood)
e.) Storage – Casein in milk stores a.a.’s for baby animals
f.) Regulation – Hormones
g.) Defense – Antibodies of the immune system
D. Nucleic Acids – large complex molecules composed of C, H, O, N, and P.
“Genetic Material”
DNA and RNA
DNA – Deoxyribonucleic Acid (Nuclear and Mitochondrial)
RNA – Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA, tRNA, rRNA)
The atomic number of carbon is 6, meaning 6 protons and in a stable atom 6 electrons as well.
This places 4 electrons in the outer shell of a carbon atom. The presence of 4 electrons in the
outer shell makes carbon an atom that will create up to 4 covalent bonds. (it can share up to 4
electrons).
C can form single, double, and triple covalent bonds.
Compounds formed by carbon can either be linear, branched, or cyclic.
Carbon forms a wide variety of molecules of different sizes.
The larger organic compounds are formed by arrangements of smaller compounds.
Monomers – the smaller compounds are called monomers.
Polymers – two or more monomers linked together form a polymer.
Ex. – Starches and proteins
In polymers, the monomers are linked together by covalent bonds which are broken or formed by
chemical reactions.
Dehydration Synthesis – molecules are built by removing H2O
Hydrolysis – molecules are broken by adding water.
Functional Groups
These are special groups of atoms that carry out chemical reactions. The groups are often found
attached to organic compounds.
NH2 – amine > used in amino acids and proteins
PO4 – phosphate > used in nucleic acids and sugar-phosphates
COOH – carboxylic acid > fatty acids and amino acids
OH – hydroxyl or alcohol group > carbohydrates and lipids