Lesson Overview
2.3 Carbon Compounds
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
THINK ABOUT IT
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In the early 1800s, many chemists called the
compounds created by organisms “organic,” believing
they were fundamentally different from compounds in
nonliving things.
We now understand that the principles governing the
chemistry of living and nonliving things are the same, but
the term “organic chemistry” is still around.
Today, organic chemistry means the study of compounds
that contain bonds between carbon atoms, while
inorganic chemistry is the study of all other compounds.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
The Chemistry of Carbon
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Carbon atoms have four valence electrons, allowing them to
form strong covalent bonds with many other elements,
including hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and nitrogen.
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Living organisms are made up of molecules that consist of
carbon and these other elements.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
The Chemistry of Carbon
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Carbon atoms can also bond to each other, which gives
carbon the ability to form millions of different large and
complex structures.
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Carbon-carbon bonds can be single, double, or triple
covalent bonds.
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Chains of carbon atoms can even close up on themselves
to form rings.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Macromolecules
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Many organic compounds
in living cells are
macromolecules- “giant
molecules,” made of many
smaller molecules.
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Macromolecules are
formed by polymerization
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Macromolecules
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The smaller units, or
monomers, join together to
form polymers.
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The monomers in a
polymer may be identical or
different.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Polymerization
 Dehydration
synthesis: Building polymers
from monomers!
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Lose :
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
 HYDROLYSIS
 Hydrolysis:
using
monomers!
water to separate the
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Macromolecules
What are the four groups
of macromolecules?
 video
A.
Carbohydrates
B. Lipids
C. Proteins
D. Nucleic Acids
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Carbohydrates
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Living things use carbohydrates as their main source of
energy. Plants, some animals, and other organisms also use
carbohydrates for structural purposes.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Carbohydrates
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Carbohydrates :
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, usually
in a ratio of 1 : 2 : 1.
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Carbohydrates: main source of
energy: supplies immediate energy
for cell activities.
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Plants, some animals, and other
organisms also use carbohydrates
for structural purposes.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Simple Sugars
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monosaccharides- Single
sugar molecules
Ex: glucose
galactose (milk)
fructose (fruit)
disaccharidessucrose (table sugar)
glucose + fructose
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Complex Carbohydrates
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The large macromolecules formed from
monosaccharides are known as
polysaccharides.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Carbohydrates
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Plants store extra glucose as a
complex carbohydrates known
as starch.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Complex Carbohydrates
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Plants also make another important
polysaccharide called cellulose, which gives
plants much of their strength and rigidity.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Complex Carbohydrates
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Humans store excess sugar in a
polysaccharide called glycogen.
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When the level of glucose in your blood runs
low, glycogen is broken down for energy
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Lipids
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Lipids can be used to store energy. Some lipids are
important parts of biological membranes and waterproof
coverings.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Lipids
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Lipids are made mostly from carbon and hydrogen
atoms and are generally not soluble in water.
lipids are fats, oils, and waxes.
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Lipids can be used to store energy. Some lipids
are important parts of biological membranes and
waterproof coverings.
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Steroids synthesized by the body are lipids as
well. Many steroids, such as hormones, serve as
chemical messengers.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Lipids
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Many lipids are formed when a glycerol
combines with a fatty acid.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Lipids
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If each carbon atom in a lipid’s fatty acid chain is
joined to another carbon atom by a single bond, the
lipid is said to be saturated.
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If there is at least one carbon-carbon double bond in
a fatty acid, the fatty acid is said to be unsaturated.
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Lipids whose fatty acids contain more than one
double bond are said to be polyunsaturated.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Lipids
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Lipids that contain unsaturated fatty acids,
such as olive oil, tend to be liquid at room
temperature.
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The data in the table illustrate how melting
point decreases as the degree of unsaturation
(number of double bonds) increases.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Macromolecules
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Nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary, or genetic,
information.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Nucleic Acids
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Nucleic acids are macromolecules
containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon,
and phosphorus.
individual monomers are nucleotides.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Nucleic Acids
Nucleotide :consists of
three parts
 5-carbon sugar
 phosphate group
(–PO4)
 nitrogenous base.
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Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Nucleic Acids
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Individual nucleotides are
joined by covalent bonds to
form a polynucleotide, or
nucleic acid.
There are two kinds of
nucleic acids:
 ribonucleic
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acid (RNA)
RNA contains the sugar ribose
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
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DNA contains the sugar
deoxyribose.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Macromolecules
Proteins
1. control the rate of reactions and regulate cell
processes.
2. form important cellular structures
3. transport substances into or out of cells
4. help to fight disease
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Protein
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Proteins are macromolecules that contain
nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
monomers of amino acids.
Functions: controlling the rate of reactions,
regulating cell processes, forming cellular
structures, transporting substances into or out
of cells, and helping to fight disease.
Lesson Overview
Protein
Carbon Compounds
Amino acids
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amino group (–NH2) on one end
 carboxyl group (–COOH) other end.
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Covalent bonds called peptide bonds link
amino acids together to form a polypeptide.
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A protein is a functional molecule built from
one or more polypeptides.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Structure and Function
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Amino acids differ from each other in a side
chain called the R-group, which have a range of
different properties.
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More than 20 different amino acids are found
in nature.
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This variety results in proteins being among
the most diverse macromolecules.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds
Levels of Organization
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Proteins have four levels of
structure.
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A protein’s primary structure is
the sequence of its amino acids.
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Carbon Compounds
Secondary structure
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hydrogen bonds are always between
C=O and H-N groups, the exact pattern of
them is different in an alpha-helix
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Carbon Compounds
Levels of Organization
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Tertiary structure is the
complete, three-dimensional
arrangement of a polypeptide
chain.
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Carbon Compounds
Quaternary Structure is the combination of
two or more chains, to form a complete unit.
Lesson Overview
Carbon Compounds