Carbon Based Molecules Most of the matter in your body that is not water is made of organic compounds. Organic compounds contain carbon atoms. Inorganic compounds do not contain carbon. ex: H2O, Na+Cl-

Four Organic Compounds: Carbohydrates Lipids Proteins Nucleic Acids

Organic compounds are large molecules (polymers) made from many smaller molecules (monomers).

Four Classes of Organic Compounds: Carbohydrates (sugars)– are organic compounds made of C, H, and O atoms; they are an immediate source of energy; found in fruits, vegetables, pasta, and grains monosaccharide – are the building blocks of carbohydrates ex: glucose (C6H12O6) “mono” – means one

disaccharide – 2 monosaccharides joined together ex: sucrose (glucose + fructose) “di” – means 2 polysaccharide – 3 or more monosaccharides ex: starch (plants), glycogen (animals), cellulose (plant cell wall) “poly” – means many

2. Lipids – nonpolar molecules that are not soluble in water ex: fats (long term energy storage), phospholipids (in cell membrane), steroids (cholesterol, hormones), waxes, oils A typical fat contains 3 fatty acids bonded to a glycerol molecule backbone.

saturated fatty acid: each carbon atom (except one) in the chain is bonded to 2 hydrogen atoms, the carbon on the end is bonded to 3 hydrogen atoms (solid at room temperature) ex: butter

unsaturated fatty acid: some of the carbon atoms are linked by a “double” covalent bond and are bonded to only 1 hydrogen atom producing kinks in the molecule (liquid at room temperature) ex: oil

3. Proteins – a large molecule formed by linked smaller molecules called amino acids amino acids – the building blocks of proteins; there are 20 amino acids; they fold into compact shapes depending on the sequence of the amino acids ex: enzymes (in chemical reactions), collagen (for structural support), builds muscle, antibodies (immune system), hemoglobin (in RBC), for growth & repair

4. Nucleic Acids – are made of nucleotides nucleotide – 3 parts include: sugar, nitrogen base, and phosphate

Two Types of Nucleic Acids: a. DNA – Deoxyribonucleic Acid; 2 strands of nucleotides that spiral around each other; contains genetic information b. RNA – Ribonucleic Acid; a single strand of nucleotides; involved in protein synthesis (making proteins)

RNA DNA

ATP – adenosine triphosphate; a single nucleotide with 2 extra energy-storing phosphate groups that stores energy needed for cell function