1. The Chemicals of Life

2. Organic Compounds
Organic compounds contain carbon and are produced by the life processes of living things
Example: photosynthesis, protein synthesis etc.
Proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and carbohydrates are the major organic substances common to all living things.
However, man now has the ability to create organic materials in laboratory and many of these are part of your everyday life! Plastics, styrofoam, nylon, rayon, and polyester are all examples of man-made organic polymers.

3. Inorganic Compounds
Not all compounds that contain carbon however are organic, carbon oxides (CO2, CO) hydrogen carbonates (HCO3) and carbonates (CaCO3) are all inorganic even though they contain CARBON and are sometimes found in living things!
All compounds that do NOT have carbon are considered inorganic.

4. Properties of the Carbon Atom
Carbon can form 4 covalent bonds because it needs four electrons to fill its outer most energy level or valence shell.

5. Properties of the Carbon Atom
Carbon bonds readily to other carbons to create straight chains, branched chains, or cyclic or ring structures.

6. Properties of the Carbon Atom
Carbon atoms will form
covalent bonds readily
with hydrogen atoms to
form hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbon = non-polar covalent
A hydrocarbon chain is an organic molecule or a portion of an organic molecule that is composed of hydrogen covalently bonded to carbon atoms in the chain.

7. Properties of the Carbon Atom
Carbon atoms can form multiple covalent bonds between themselves.
This results in the formation of unsaturated hydrocarbon chains.
Carbon can share one, two, or up to three pairs of electrons
between two carbon atoms forming single, double, or triple bonds

8. Properties of the Carbon Atom
Carbon atoms will bond readily to other non-metals such as oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur
nitrogen
carbon
oxygen
hydrogen
The structural model above is of the
organic substance called urea. It has
two nitrogen atoms each covalently
bonded to the central carbon atom and
an oxygen atom with two covalent
bonds bonded to the central carbon atom.

9. Functional Groups
Functional groups are groups of atoms attached to the carbon skeleton of molecules
Give the molecule its characteristic chemical and physical properties acidic, basic, polar, ionizing
Usually participate in chemical reactions

10. Functional groups form the following compounds:
You will need to memorize structure, function, and properties of each of the functional groups and the combining capacity of C,H,N,O,S and P
Functional groups form the following compounds:
Functional Group
Compound
Hydroxyl
alcohols
Carbonyl
Aldehydes and ketones
Carboxyl
Carboxylic acids
Amino
Amines
Sulfhydryl
Thiols
Phosphate
Organic phosphates

12. LE 3-2
Estradiol
Female lion
Testosterone
Male lion

13. Practice Questions
Identify the circled functional groups

14. Identify as many functional groups as you can:

15. Definitions
Macromolecules = large complex organic molecules (often composed of subunits)
Polymers = long chain organic molecules composed of repeating subunits
Monomers = the subunit of polymers

16. Biological Macromolecules
Four major classes in living organisms:
Proteins
Lipids
Carbohydrates
Nucleic Acids
All of which are more or less a number of repeating subunits

17. Macromolecule
Subunit
Complex carbohydrate
Simple sugar (glucose)
Lipid
Glycerol and fatty acids
Protein
Amino acids
Nucleic acids (DNA, RNA)
Nucleotide

18. Biological Reactions
Metabolic reactions = any reaction in a living system
Anabolic reactions = reactions that produce larger molecules
Catabolic reactions = reactions that breakdown larger molecules

19. Dehydration Synthesis / Condensation Reactions
Most common form of anabolic reactions
Two subunits are linked together
Water is formed as a by-product
Used in polymerisation
Absorbs energy

20. Short polymer Unlinked monomer Dehydration reaction Longer polymer
LE 3-3a
Short polymer
Unlinked monomer
Dehydration
reaction
Longer polymer

21. Hydrolysis Most common catabolic reaction
Macromolecule is broken into subunits using water
Polymer breakdown usually involve this
Releases energy

22. LE 3-3b
Hydrolysis

23. Both condensation and hydrolysis reactions require enzymes to take place efficiently. Enzymes are catalysts that speed up a reaction without being consumed in the process
Enzymes are substrate specific eg. Maltase works on maltose