1. Organic Compounds Overview
a.k.a. Biomolecules Overview

2. Basics Organic compounds contain carbon (C) and hydrogen (H)
In living things, they are also called “biomolecules.”
4 main types:
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Lipids
Nucleic Acids

3. Carbohydrates (polymers)
Monomers (building blocks)
=monosaccharides
=Single sugars
Ex) glucose, fructose, ribose
2 monosaccharides make a disaccharide. (ex. sucrose, lactose)
3+ make a polysaccharide (ex. starch)

4. Chemical Makeup
Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H) and Oxygen (O) in a 1:2:1 ratio
Standard chemical formula (for monosaccharides): CxH2xOx
Ex) Glucose=C6H12O6

5. Functions Short term energy storage
Raw fuel for cellular respiration
Structure (in plants’ cell walls, in animals=chitin (exoskeletons)

6. Examples In animals: In plants: Glucose
Glycogen (a polysaccharide that provides longer energy storage.)
Chitin (compound in exoskeletons)
In plants:
Glucose & Fructose
Starch
Cellulose (in cell walls)

7. Other info:
Smaller molecules are more soluble in water than larger ones.
Deoxyribose & ribose are sugars in nucleic acids (DNA & RNA)

8. Proteins (polymers) Building blocks =amino acids (20)
12 amino acids can be produced by the body.
8 must be obtained from food (essential amino acids)
Amino acid chain=polypeptide

9. Chemical Makeup Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen
All have an amino group (NH2)
Complex!

10. Structure (see p. 45) Have 3-dimensional structure 4 levels:
Primary (single chain)
Secondary (alpha helix or pleated sheet)
Tertiary (globular or fibrous) caused by hydrophobic/hydrophillic interactions or by disulfide bonds
Quaternary (2 or more polypeptides fit together)

11. Functions Structural (hair, ligaments) Contractile (muscles) Enzymes
Defensive (immune system)
Signal (coordinate body functions)
Receptor (on cell membranes)
Transport (hemoglobin carries oxygen)

12. Lipids (polymers) Monomers (building blocks)
=1 glycerol + 3 fatty acid chains
They are hydrophobic (water-”fearing”)

13. Chemical makeup Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen
Glycerol is an alcohol w/ 3 -OH groups.
Fatty acid is a hydrocarbon chain with a -COOH group

14. Lipids-Examples & Functions
Fat (long term energy storage, insulation, cushioning)
Phospholipids (cell membranes)--have 2 fatty acids + phosphate group (PO4)
Cholesterol (animal cell membranes, starting point for other steroids, incl. sex hormones)

15. More about fats Saturated fats Unsaturated fats
solid at room temperature
From animals
Contain the maximum # of hydrogens (i.e. no double bonds)
Unsaturated fats
Liquid at room temperature
From plants
Contain less than the max. # of H (due to double bonds.)

16. Nucleic Acids (polymer)
Monomers (building blocks)=
Nucleotides
Nucleotide=
5-carbon sugar (deoxyribose or ribose)
Phosphate group
Nitrogenous base (A, C, T (or U), G)

17. Nitrogenous Bases A=Adenine T=Thymine U=Uracil C=Cytosine G=Guanine
Pairing:
A & T, C & G (in DNA)
A & U, C & G (in RNA)

18. 2 types of nucleic acids DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
Form genes, which code for proteins (function)
Double stranded (double helix)
A, C, T, G
RNA (ribonucleic acid)
Used to help make proteins (function)
Single helix
A, C, U, G