Organic Chemistry

Chemistry of Carbon Molecules

Carbon• 4 electrons in outer energy level.• Needs to form four covalent bonds to

become stable.• Can form single, double, or triple bonds.

– A double bond is a bond in which each atom shares two electrons.

• Can bond with other carbon atoms to form straight chains, branched chains or rings of various sizes.

Isomer

• Compounds with the same chemical formula but a different 3-D structure.– Example: glucose and fructose (both

C6H12O6)

Polymers

• Large biomolecules formed from many smaller molecules bonded together.– Example: Proteins

Carbohydrates

• Biomolecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.

• Used by cells to provide energy.

Carbohydrates• Monosaccharide

– Simplest carbohydrate.– Simple sugar.– Examples: glucose and fructose

• Disaccharide– Formed from two monosaccharides– Example: Sucrose (table sugar) (formed from

glucose and fructose)

• Polysaccharides– Largest carbohydrates– Examples: Starch, Glycogen, and Cellulose

Lipids• Large biomolecules made mostly of

carbon and hydrogen with a small amount of oxygen.

• Used for energy storage, insulation, and protective covering.

• Insoluble in water because they are non-polar molecules.

• Examples:– Fats, oils, waxes, steroids.

Lipids• Formed from fatty acids.

– Long chain of carbon and hydrogen.

• Saturated fatty acid:– Each carbon in the chain is bonded to the

other carbon atoms by a single bond.

• Unsaturated fatty acid:– A double or a triple bond is present in the

chain.

Proteins• Large complex polymer composed of

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.

• Provide structure for tissues, contract muscle tissues, transport oxygen in the bloodstream, regulate reactions, and carry out cell metabolism.

• Enzyme:– Protein that changes the rate of a chemical

reaction.

Proteins• Proteins are common in a large variety of

sizes and 3-D shapes.• The shape depends on the properties of the

individual amino acids (ex. pH).

• Formed from amino acids.– 20 common amino acids.– Covalent bond between two amino acids is

called a peptide bond.

Nucleic Acids• Complex molecules that store information

in the form of a code.• Made of smaller units called nucleotides.

– Nucleotides are formed from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorous atoms arranged in three groups: a nitrogeneous base, a simple sugar, and a phosphate group

• Examples:– DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)