INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Organic means: “contains carbon” ORGANIC MOLECULES Organic means: “contains carbon” 90% of all known compounds are organic

ELEMENTS IN ORGANIC MOLECULES There are six elements that are most common in organic molecules: Carbon (C) Hydrogen (H) Oxygen (O) Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Sulfur (S) CHONPS (Like CHOMPS, but with an N!)

CARBON H H C H H Carbon can form covalent bonds with 4 other atoms. Because Carbon can bond with four other atoms, Carbon can help make many different structures. This helps to ensure diversity of life on earth! H H C H H

COVALENT BONDS In covalent bonds, atoms share electrons They are the strongest type of chemical bond Atoms can share one, two or three electrons.

TYPES OF COVALENT BONDS Share one electron: Single bond C-C Share two electrons: Double bond C=C Share three electrons: Triple bond CΞC

WHAT ARE ATOMS? Atoms: (smallest piece of a certain element): Oxygen Atom Carbon Atom

PUTTING ATOMS TOGETHER MAKES MOLECULES Molecules: A combination of atoms Example: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) How many atoms of Carbon does CO2 have?

DIFFERENT WAYS OF VISUALIZING (DRAWING) MOLECULES: Example: Water Remember: In covalent bonds, atoms share electrons. This holds each atom together.

THE FOUR MOST COMMON TYPES OF ORGANIC MOLECULES Carbohydrates: such as sugar and pasta Lipids: such as butter and olive oil Proteins: such as meat, nuts and soy Nucleic Acids: such as DNA

EXAMPLES: CARBOHYDRATES Sucrose 

EXAMPLES: LIPIDS Triglyceride Fatty Acids Cholesterol

Hemoglobin (a protein) EXAMPLES: PROTEINS Amino Acids Hemoglobin (a protein)

EXAMPLES: NUCLEIC ACIDS Nucleotides DNA

HOW TO REMEMBER STRUCTURES Carbohydrates: Have a 5-Carbon ring form, or often have many rings joined in a line (or branching from each other) by an oxygen molecule Lipids: Have long hydrocarbon chains (chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms), and steroids have rings joined at the side.

HOW TO REMEMBER STRUCTURES…continued Proteins: Carbon atom with four “groups” coming off of it: 1) COO- 2) H 3)H3N 4) random Or, the molecule is made of many of these Carbon atom groups joined together and looks “globular” Nucleic Acids: single 6-Carbon ring structures, or a 6-C ring fused to a 5-C ring. Many of these joined together