Organic Chemistry – Carbon Chemistry and Macromolecules

See also Biochemistry

Carbon Chemistry

• Organic chemistry is the study of all compounds that contain bonds between Carbon atoms.
• Four major elements that are found in biological organic compounds are:

Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Phosphorus

Lewis Dot Structure and the Structual Formula for a carbon atom

• 
  Lewis Dot Structure for a carbon atom

How many bonds can carbon make with other atoms? FOUR

1. Carbon can make 4 covalent bonds with other atoms. This makes it flexible; it can bond with many elements.
2. A carbon atom can bond with another carbon atom to create long carbon chains/carbon ring structures.

Carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms are known as Hydrocarbons, an example is Methane.

• What is a macromolecule?

A giant molecule made from 100 to 1,000 of smaller molecules.

• What are macromolecules made up of?

Monomers

• What is polymerization?

When monomer ions join together to form polymers

• What is dehydration synthesis?

When a water molecule is removed to join 2 monomers together.

• What is hydrolysis?

When a water molecule is split to break bonds between monomers.

• 
  Carbohydrate Monomer = Monosaccharides (monomers)
• 
  Lipid Monomer = Triglycerides (monomers)
• 
  Protein Monomer = Amino Acids (monomers)
• 
  Nucleic Acid Monomer = Nucleotides (monomers)

What are the four major macromolecules in living things?

• What is a carbohydrate?

Compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. These are usually combined in a ratio of 1, 2, 1.

• Why are they important in living things?

Short-Term Energy Use and carbohydrates serve as a structure in organisms... EX: Chitin in exoskeleton of athropods.

• What are monomers for carbohydrates known as?

Monosaccharides

• What are the three monosaccharides for carbohydrates?

• 
  Glucose
• 
  Galactose
• 
  Fructose

• Monosaccharides bond together to form chains of polysaccharides.
  • EX: Glycogen¹, Cellulose², Chitin³

How much energy is in 1 gram of carbohydrates? 4 CALORIES

1. Glycogen is a carbohydrate storage in animals.
2. Cellulose is a carbohydrate in cell walls of plants.
3. Chitin is a carbohydrate in the cell walls of bacteria and fungi

• What are lipids?

Macromolecules that are generally not soluble in water. They are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

• What makes up a lipid monomer?

Glycerol and Fatty Acid Chains

1. Long-term energy storage
2. Protection/Insulation
3. Membrane Structure
4. Acting as a chemical messenger

Lipid Polymers

• Fats - Come from animals and is solid at room temperature.
• Oils - Come from plants and stays liquid at room temperature.
• Waxes - Come from bees.

1. What is a saturated fatty acid?

When there are only single bonds between all carbon atoms in the fatty acid chains of a lipid.

2. What is an unsaturated fatty acid?

When there are double and triple bonds between carbon atoms in a fatty acid chain.

How much energy in 1 gram of lipid? 9 CALORIES

• Nucleic acids are macromolecules that contain the following elements

1. Carbon
2. Hydrogen
3. Oxygen
4. Nitrogen
5. Phosphorus

The monomers for nucleic acids are called...

• Nucleotides

Three components of a nucleic acid nucleotide are

1. Phosphate group
2. 5-carbon sugar
3. Nitrogenous Base

Nucleotides will bond together to form...

• Nucleic Acids

The main function of nucleic acids is to...

• Store and transmit genetic information

Two kinds of nucleic acids are

1. DNA
2. RNA

• Proteins are macromolecules that contain the following elements:

1. Carbon
2. Hydrogen
3. Oxygen
4. Nitrogen

• The monomers for proteins are called amino acids.
• The general structure of an amino acid is:

All amino acids have an amino group and a carboxyl group

The R group distinguishes one amino acid from another

There are a total of 20 amino acids

• Amino acids are bonded together through peptide bonds to form protein--or polypeptide chains.

Proteins are joined together in up to four different levels of organization.

• Polypeptide chain of amino acids.

• Polypeptide chain can twist (helix) or fold (sheets) due to weak bonds between amino acids.

• Polypeptide chain as whole twists and folds.

• Multiple chains are arranged into a complex protein (2-4 polypeptide chains grouped together).

1. Structural components in cells
2. Regulate cell processes and chemical reactions
3. Transport substances across the cell membrane
4. Act as receptors to certain compounds