Carbon compounds

• Carbon compounds


  Life is based on carbon compounds including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids
• Main classes of carbon compounds

  • Carbohydrates
  • Lipids
  • Proteins
  • Nucleic acids
• Carbohydrates


  • Composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio of two hydrogen atoms to one oxygen
• Lipids


  • A broad class of molecules that are insoluble in water, including steroids, waxes, fatty acids and triglycerides
• Triglycerides


  • Fats if sold at room temperature, oils if liquid at room temperature
• Proteins


  • Composed of one or more chains of amino acids
  • There are 20 different amino acids
• Nucleic acids


  • Chains of subunits called nucleotides, which contain carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus
  • There are two types: ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
• Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids are the four organic compound types found within living things
• Isomers


  Compounds that have the same elements but different properties
• Types of isomers


  • Structural isomers
  • Geometrical isomers
  • Enantiomers
• Structural isomers


  • Differ in the covalent arrangement of their atoms
• Structural isomers


  • C2H4 has 3 isomers
  • C8H18 has 18 isomers
  • C12H26 has 366,319 isomers
• Geometrical isomers


  • Have the same covalent partnership but differ in spatial arrangements
  • Arise from inflexibility of double bonds
• Geometrical isomers


  • Cis isomer
  • Trans isomer
• Enantiomers


  • Are isomers that are mirror images of each other
  • One isomer is biologically active, the other is inactive
  • Designated L and D isomers
• Functional groups


  Specific configurations of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeleton of organic molecules and usually involved in chemical reactions
• Important chemical groups


  • Hydroxyl
  • Carbonyl
  • Carboxyl
  • Amino
  • Sulfhydryl
  • Phosphate
  • Methyl
• Hydroxyl group


  A hydrogen bonded to an oxygen atom, which is bonded to the carbon skeleton
• Carbonyl group


  A carbon atom joined to an oxygen atom by a double bond
• Carbonyl group


  • Ketones
  • Aldehydes
• Carboxyl group


  An oxygen atom double-bonded to a carbon atom that is also bonded to an -OH group
• Carboxyl group


  • Acetic acid
• Amino group


  A nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms and to the carbon skeleton
• Amino group


  • Glycine
• Sulfhydryl group


  A sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom
• Sulfhydryl group


  • Cysteine
• Phosphate group


  A phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms, with two oxygens carrying negative charges
• Phosphate group


  • Glycerol phosphate
• Methyl group


  A carbon bonded to three hydrogen atoms
• Methyl group


  • 5-Methyl cytidine