CARBON COMPOUNDS Section 2-3

THE CHEMISTRY OF CARBON Organic Chemistry The study of all compounds that contain bonds between carbon atoms Carbon 4 valence electrons Forms strong covalent bonds with H, O, P, S, N Can bond to other carbon atoms Ability to form chains of almost unlimited length Can form rings

MACROMOLECULES Giant molecules Made from many smaller molecules Formed through polymerization Small compounds are joined together to form larger compounds Smaller units: monomers Larger units: polymers Four groups in living things Carbohydrates Lipids Proteins Nucleic acids

DEHYDRATION SYNTHESIS Polymerization reaction where monomers are joined together to form polymers by removing water molecules

HYDROLYSIS Process of splitting a polymer into monomers with the addition of water molecules

CARBOHYDRATES Made of C, H, and O (1:2:1) Uses Main source of energy in living things Structure Monomer: monosaccharides (single sugar molecules) Glucose Polymer: polysaccharides Starch, glycogen, cellulose

LIPIDS Made of mostly C and H Not soluble in water Fats, oils, waxes Uses Store energy Biological membranes Waterproof coverings Chemical messengers Subunits Fatty acids combine with glycerol

LIPIDS Saturated Each carbon atom in a lipid’s fatty acid chain is joined to another carbon by a single bond Contains the maximum number of hydrogen atoms Unsaturated There is at least one carbon-carbon double bond in a fatty acid Polyunsaturated Contain more than one double bond

PROTEINS Contain C, H, O, and N Polymers of amino acids Compounds with an amino group at one end and a carboxyl group on the other end More than 20 different amino acids are found in nature Roles Control the rates of reactions Regulate cell processes Form bones and muscles Transport substances into or out of cells Help fight disease

PROTEINS Four levels of organization

NUCLEIC ACIDS Contain C, H, O, N and P Monomers: nucleotides 3 parts A 5-carbon sugar A phosphate group A nitrogenous base Role Store and transmit genetic information 2 kinds DNA : deoxyribonucleic acid RNA : ribonucleic acid

Molecules Gone Wild