INTRODUCTION TO CARBON
1. Carbon is the basic building block for all
forms of life on Earth.
2. Fortunately, carbon is also one of the most
abundant elements on our planet.
3. It is the fourth most abundant element in
the universe and it is the second most
abundant element in the human body.
WHY IS CARBON IMPORTANT
1. 18% of all living things on earth is
comprised of carbon.
2. That includes human beings, plants, and
animals. Like all animals, humans have a
metabolic need for carbon.
WHY IS CARBON IMPORTANT
HOW DO WE GET CARBON
1. We get carbon by eating carbohydrates
which are produced in plants during
photosynthesis.
PLANTS
1. Carbon is the key for photosynthesis,
which ultimately provides food for all
living things on Earth.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS:
LIFE FROM LIGHT AND AIR
MEANS “PUTTING TOGETHER WITH LIGHT”
AN OVERVIEW OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
1. Photosynthesis is the process by which
autotrophic organisms use light energy to
make sugar and oxygen gas from carbon
dioxide and water
Carbon
dioxide
Water
Glucose
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Oxygen
gas
THE FOOD WEB
ANIMALS
1. Animals are dependent upon water to drink
as well as oxygen to breathe.
2. Without carbon, plants would not be able
to produce:
a) Water
b) Oxygen
c) Food
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
1. Definition: Carbon bonds to other atoms and
determine structure and function of living things.
2. Carbon usually bonds with:
a) Hydrogen
b) Oxygen
c) Nitrogen
d) Carbon
3. Why do you think carbon usually bonds with
these four elements?
CARBON ELEMENT
CELL STRUCTURE
1. Due to their physical structure and
chemical properties, carbon atoms may
form a number of structures
a) Configurations that are key to cell
structure and functioning.
THE CHEMISTRY OF CARBON
1. Carbon is the chemical basis for most of
the molecules that are important to
maintaining life.
a) Carbohydrates
b) Lipids (fats)
c) Proteins
d) Nucleic Acids (DNA, RNA)
THE BASIS OF LIFE
1. Carbon atoms are found not only in all
plants and animals, but in all other living
life forms as well. Without carbon, life as
we know it would simply not exist.