Organic Chemistry
Checkpoints
1. Organic compounds are identified as those compounds that have the carbon atom in
their structure. Identify the compounds below as “Organic” (containing carbon) or
“Inorganic” (without carbon).
2. Carbohydrates are a class of organic molecule that contain Carbon , Hydrogen, and
Oxygen molecules in a 1:2:1 ratio. They are often in structured into 5 or 6 carbon rings.
They are also called saccharides or sugars and provide living organisms with energy.
Examples: glucose, fructose (Monosaccharides/simple sugars) maltose sucrose and
lactose (disaccharides) and Starch, glycogen, and cellulose (polysaccharides).
Identify the carbohydrates below.
3. Complex carbohydrates (disaccharides and Polysaccharides) can be made from joining
together two or more Monosaccharides. This process is called dehydraton syntheisis
or condensation reaction. The dehydration part is the removal of water. The synthesis
part is the joining of the two smaller compound to create a larger one (polymerization).
4. The opposite of this process is called hydrolysis. This process breaks-down large
molecules (polymers) in processes like digestion in living things.
5. Identify the reaction below as either dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis. How did you
know?
6. Identify the Molecules below as Monosaccharides, Disaccharides or Polysaccharides.
a. _______________
c. ______________
b. _________________
d. _______________
7. Check your Progress:
a. A carbohydrates is made up of only _____ , _____ , _____.
b. Sugar is an example of a ________________.
c. _____________ is another name for sugar.
d. A ________________ is one simple sugar.
e. A _________________ is made up of two simple sugars.
f. A __________________ is a whole string of sugars.
g. _________________ is an example of a polysaccharide.
h. Dissacharide  2 Monosaccharides
i. Involves the removal of H2O
j. 2 Monosaccharides  Disaccharide
k. Involves the addition of H2O
Dehydration reaction or Hydrolysis?
Dehydration reaction or Hydrolysis?
Dehydration reaction or Hydrolysis?
Dehydration reaction or Hydrolysis?
8. Fats, Oils, waxes, and Cholesterols belong to a class of organic molecules called
Lipids. Like carbohydrates they are made up of C, H, and O, however they do not share
the same 1:2:1 ratio as carbohydrates. Look at the Lipid molecule below, what can you
say about the ratio of C, H, and O in Lipids? Is the ratio of H to O greater or lesser than
2:1
9. The molecule below is a Fatty acid. Three fatty acids will join with a Glycerol to make
a Triglyceride molecule. “Fats” are considered saturated if they do not have double bonds
between Carbon atoms and are solids at room temperature. Unsaturated fats have double
bonds between carbons and are liquids at room temperature. Based on this is the fatty
acid below saturated or unsaturated?
10. Check you progress: Circle the correct answer
a. Which of the following correctly lists the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen in a lipid?
1:2
>1:2
2:1
>2:1
b. The elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are the sole building blocks of
sugars only lipids only
carbohydrates only lipids and carbohydrates
c. All of the following are lipids Except
fats
cholesterol
sugars
waxes
d. All of the following are carbohydrates Except
glycogen
cellulose
starches
oils
e. A compound containing three fatty acids and a glycerol is called a
triglyceride
wax
glycogen
cellulose
11. Using a Venn Diagram Compare Lipids and Carbohydrates
12. Amino acids are the building block of proteins. Just like carbohydrates can be joined
to make more complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides), and fatty acids can be joined to
make polymers of fat, amino acids can be joined to make polypeptides a.k.a Proteins.
The generic Amino acid looks like this:
You should be able to recognize the parts of an Amino Acid:
a. the amino group (NH2)
b. the carboxyl group (COOH)
c. the R-Group (this varies and can be 1 of 20 different compounds)
13. Circle the Amino group in the molecules below, put a square around the carboxyl
group, and identify the chemical formula for the R-group.
Each R-group side chain identifies the amino acid. There are 20 different side chains and
therefore 20 different amino acids.
14. Two amino acids can be joined together to make a Dipeptide by the same reactions
we talked about earlier known as Condensation reactions or Dehydration reactions. Why
are they called this? Think about the by-product of these reactions. What is always a
product of polymerization (building polymers)?
When Amino acids join together by the dozens we get a Polypeptide chain or “Protein”.
15. Check your Progress:
a. A polypeptide (protein) is created via …. Hydrolysis or Dehydration synthesis
b. A protein is unique from lipids and carbohydrates because it contains………..
carbon
hydrogen
oxygen
nitrogen
c. In the picture below, Draw in the amino group and circle the carboxyl group of the
amino acid.