CP Biology
2015-2016
Name
______
____________
UNIT 1C: Biochemistry Part 1
Chapter 2: The Chemistry of Life
2.3 Carbon Compounds (Organic Chemistry)
What is the difference between ORGANIC and
INORGANIC chemistry? *Organic chemistry means the
study of compounds that contain bonds between carbon
atoms; *Inorganic chemistry is the study of all other
compounds.
Why is Carbon so interesting?
Carbon has four valence electrons, allowing it to
form bonds with many other elements such as H, P, O, S
and N.

One carbon atom can bond to another, giving it the
ability to form chains that are almost unlimited in length.

These carbon-carbon bonds can be single, double or
How many bonds does a single carbon atom form to
even triple covalent bonds.
become stable?

Chains of carbon atoms can even close up on
themselves to form rings. No other element comes close to
______4_________ bonds.
matching carbon's versatility.

(HONC 1234)
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*ORGANIC COMPOUNDS:
 Are usually defined as compounds which contain
carbon with hydrogen. (May contain additional
elements such as O, N, P, K, S, Fe, Ca, Na, Cl and
others.)
 Are produced only by living things (biotic).
 Range from simple to very complex.
 Contain strong, covalent bonds.
 Examples: CH4, C6H12O6, SUGARS, PROTEINS,
FATS, OILS, DNA
*INORGANIC COMPOUNDS:
 Usually defined as compounds that do not contain
carbon with hydrogen. (exceptions may contain just
carbon.)
 They often can be formed in the non-living (abiotic)
environment, but :
 Can also be made by/found in living things.
 Examples: H2O, NaCl, O2, NH3, CaCO3, CO2
Identify whether each of the following compounds is
organic or inorganic by placing a √ in the appropriate
column.
Substance
Organic? Inorganic?
1. sodium chloride
(table salt): NaCl
2. glucose: C6H12O6
X
X
3. water: H2O
X
4. heating oil: C14H30
X
5. chitin (a protein):
C8H12NO5
X
6. thymine (a
nitrogenous base):
C5H5N2O2
X
7. sulfuric acid: H2SO4
X
8. oxygen gas: O2
X
9. ethanol: C2H5OH
X
10. adenosine
triphosphate (ATP):
C10H16N5O13P3
X
11. carbon dioxide:
CO2
X
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The General Structure of Macromolecules
Many of the organic compounds produced by living things
are so large that they are called *macromolecules which
means giant molecules. Examples: Carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins and nucleic acids.
Most macromolecules are formed through a process called
*polymerization in which large compounds are built by
joining smaller ones together.
The smaller repeating units called *monomers may be
identical or different from one another. The large
compounds which are formed from the joining of many
monomers are called *polymers.
monomer
monomer
dimer
Two monomers joined together are called a *dimer.
The exception: Lipids are not composed of monomers and
polymers. Instead, they take different forms which we will
discuss later in this unit.
polymer
dimer
monomers
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Four Types of Biologically Important Macromolecules
What are the four major types of organic macromolecules
and what are the building blocks of each type?

Carbohydrates (monosaccharides)

Lipids (glycerol and 3 fatty acids)

Nucleic Acids (nucleotides)

Proteins (amino acids)
(In this unit, we will be focusing primarily on the
STRUCTURE or FORM of these molecules. We will
discuss their FUNCTION at appropriate points
throughout the course.)
Most of the foods we eat are made from living things;
therefore they are composed of a variety of different
organic molecules. A well-balanced diet provides not
only the energy needed to fuel life processes but also the
materials needed for cells to build essential molecules
and cell structures.
GROUP
Basic Building
Blocks
(Monomers)
Polymer
Carbohydrates
Monosaccharides
Polysaccharide
Lipids
Glycerol + 3 F.A.
Triglyceride
Nucleic Acids
Nucleotides
Nucleic acids
Proteins
Amino Acids
Polypeptide
Carbohydrates Lipids
Pasta, bread,
fruits, grains,
Foods in candy, potato
which
they are
found
Vegetable oil,
olive oil, fat
from animal
meats, butter
Nucleic Acids Proteins
Found in any Nuts, animal
food that
meats, eggs,
comes from
beans, soy
living things /
cells
Organic molecules must be digested and converted by
metabolic processes into molecules organisms can use.
All organisms use chemical processes to BUILD UP and
BREAK DOWN organic polymers.
Remember, there is a continual cycling of matter
throughout all ecosystems, while energy is not
recycled
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Synthesis and Breakdown of Macromolecules
Two major chemical processes (metabolic reactions)
occur to build up or break down all four types of
macromolecules into larger or smaller units.
 *Dehydration Synthesis is the combination
of smaller organic subunits by the removal of
water. This chemical reaction involves
removing an –H from one subunit and an –OH
from the other subunit to allow the subunits to
bond together.
A _polymer (large molecule)___ and _water_______ are
products of the reaction Dehydration Synthesis.
NOTE: Water is produced as a product.
 *Hydrolysis is the breakdown of
macromolecules into their subunits by adding
water. This chemical reaction involves
breaking a bond and adding an –H and an –
OH to adjacent subunits so the molecules can
exist separately.
NOTE: Water is required as a reactant.
Water is a (reactant / product) of the reaction, Hydrolysis.
Smaller molecules are the (reactants / products) of the reaction,
Hydrolysis.
These reactions occur in both directions, depending
upon the needs of the organism.
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CARBOHYDRATES
Monosaccharides - small, ring-like structures
 are important for energy and cell structure.
Sometimes called ‘hydrated’ carbons. They contain
atoms of *CARBON, HYDROGEN and OXYGEN,
usually in a ratio of *1: 2: 1.
Carbohydrates differ in structural makeup. They range
from small, monosaccharides (*simple sugars) to
intermediate molecules such as disaccharides, to large
polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates).
*GLUCOSE
*FRUCTOSE
Chemical Formula – C6H12O6 Chemical Formula - C6H12O6
*Monosaccharides: single sugar molecules, the
simplest (monomer) unit of carbohydrates.
*GALACTOSE
Chemical Formula - C6H12O6
*RIBOSE
Chemical Formula – C5H10O5
*Disaccharides: a compound made by joining two
monosaccharides together
Examples
*Sucrose - (table sugar) - made by joining Glucose
and Fructose
*Lactose - (milk sugar) - made by joining Galactose
and Glucose
Disaccharides
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Isomer - molecules with the same chemical formula, BUT different structural formulas or shapes
STRUCTURE LEADS TO FUNCTION!!!
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*Polysaccharides: large molecules formed from many monosaccharides. Aka: complex carbohydrates
CELLULOSE
GLYCOGEN
STARCH
*What differences and/or similarities do you notice about the polysaccharides above?
They are all composed / made
up of monosaccharides (glucose - ring-like simple sugars), but the bonds that connect them can be arranged
differently – some are straight and some are branched (bent).
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Important Polysaccharides Synthesized by Animals and Plants:
 Animals consume carbohydrates in food, digest them
(hydrolysis) and then store the excess sugar by synthesizing
glycogen. *Glycogen is a polysaccharide that many animals
make to store excess sugar, sometimes referred to as "animal
starch". When the level of glucose in your blood runs low,
glycogen stored in the liver and muscles is broken down into
glucose which is released into the blood so it can be delivered
to cells.
 Plants produce glucose during photosynthesis and use it to
synthesize starch. *Starch is a polysaccharide that plants
make to store excess sugar. In addition, *Cellulose is another
polyssacharide made by plants. It forms tough flexible fibers
that give plants much of their strength and rigidity. Cellulose
is a major component of the cell walls of plant cells. Wood
and paper are made largely of cellulose! Humans generally
can't digest cellulose ("fiber"), but it helps regulate the
elimination of your solid wastes.
Examine the picture to the right.
What do starch, glycogen and cellulose have in common?
1) __all are examples of polysaccharides_____________
2) __all are made up of glucose monomers____________
3) __all organic…all contain only C, H, and O________
Your personal notes, summary of the lesson, and/or questions that you may have:
Starch = the energy storage molecule for plants
Glycogen = the energy storage molecule for animals
Cellulose = the structural molecule for plant cell walls
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