Organic Molecules
- Some organic molecules in life are
- Carbohydrates and Lipids à C, H and O
- Proteins à C, H, O, N & sometimes S
- Nucleic acids à C, H, O, N & P
Can also contain traces of Mg and Fe (e.g. in proteins)
- Functional groups è atoms that tend to react a certain way
- Contribute to chemical & physical properties of the molecule
- E.g.
Alcohols à hydroxyl group (-OH)
Carboxylic Acids à carboxyl group (-COOH)
Amino à amine/amide (NH)
Sulfhydryl à (-SH)
Phosphates à (-OOP=O)
Carbonyl à Aldehydes and Ketones (=O)
o Can participate in redox, acid-base, condensation/dehydration & hydrolysis reactions
- The oxidation of alcohols into aldehydes into carboxylic acids
- Important for fatty acids
- Thiols è form disulfide linkages upon oxidation àimportant in protein synthesis (formation of macromolecules)
- Carbon
- Has four valence electrons and can form straight branched chains or rings
- Provides a backbone for biological molecules
- C-H are non-polar bonds
- Link up with atoms to form functional groups
- Biological macromolecules
- Large molecules (polymers) made of repeating subunits (monomers)
Carbohydrates à glucose subunits (sugars)
Proteins à amino acid subunits (enzymes)
Lipids à glycerol and fatty acid subunits (triglycerides)
Nucleic acids à nucleotide subunits (DNA and RNA)
o Monomer must have at least 1 functional group to form a monomer
1 functional group è dimer