Chemical

Chemical
Compounds
Compounds
Inorganic Compounds
• Compounds made
from elements other
than carbon
• Water
• Acids and Bases
• Salts
• Carbon dioxide
 Water
• Most important and
most abundant inorganic
compound
 Acids
• A substance that gives off
hydrogen ions ( H+ ) when
dissolved in water
• The more hydrogen ions , the
more acidic a substance is
 Acids
• The lower is its
number in the pH
scale
• Tastes sour
 Examples of Acids
• Urine
• Saliva
• Hydrochloric acid in
stomach
 Bases
• Substance that releases
hydroxyl ions ( OH- )
when dissolved in water
• The fewer hydrogen ions,
the more basic a substance
is
 Bases

• The higher is its pH

value
• Tastes bitter
 Examples of Bases
• Sodium hydroxide
(laundry soap
ingredient)
• Lye
 Salts
• Formed from the
chemical combination of
acids and bases
• “ neutralization “
 Carbon Dioxide
• Biolgically important
since it it the source of
carbon in
photosynthesis
• Although it contains
CARBON, it is an
exception in the
organic compound
group
 REMEMBER:
• A living organism is
composed largely of
compounds of CARBON
and WATER
• Most animals are
60% water
• Most plants are 90%
water
 Carbon Compounds
• Why do we have to
study them?
• Carbon atoms have 4
valence electrons
• MEANING:
Each electron can
join with an electron from
another atom
•Carbon can bond
with H, O, P, S
and N
• Carbon can also bond with
other Carbon atoms
• MEANING:
Carbon can form chains
that are almost unlimited
in length
• Carbon to carbon bonds
can be single, double or
triple covalent bonds
• A chain of carbon atoms
can also form rings (see
Fig. 2-11 of textbook)
• Therefore, Carbon is
a versatile element.
• No other element
comes close !!!
The Chemical Building
Blocks of Life:
Organic Molecules
Polymers

• Many large molecules

are called macromolecules
or polymers.
•A polymer is a molecule
built of a long chain of
similar molecules called
monomers.
• Monomers in a polymer
may be identical ( like
links in a chain )
• ... Or different ( like
beads in a colored
necklace )
• Biological molecules
are formed by linking
subunits.
HO H HO H

` Release H2O

HO H
HO H HO H

` Release H2O

HO H

Polymerization: Dehydration
Synthesis or Condensation
Reaction
• The polymers are joined
together by the removal
of a hydrogen ( H ) from
one unit and a hydroxyl
group ( OH ) from
another unit, forming
water.
 Add H2O

HO H

HO H HO H
 Add H2O

HO H

HO H HO H

Hydrolysis Reaction
• The polymers are broken
by adding water.
• The opposite of
dehydration synthesis or
condensation reaction.
 4 Organic Compounds
• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Nucleic Acids
• Proteins
 Monomers or Building
Blocks
• Carbohydrates ----
monosaccharide
or glucose

• Proteins ------- amino acid

 Monomers or Building
Blocks

• Lipids --- fatty acid and

glycerol
• Nucleic Acids--nucleotide
CARBOHYDRATES
• Carbohydrates (sugars) are
group of molecules that
contain the elements
carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen.
 
• Simple carbohydrates are
called monosaccharides.
• Two monosaccharide molecules
linked together are called
disaccharides.
• Long sugar polymers are called
polysaccharides.
 
A Carbohydrate Molecule
 
PROTEINS
• Proteins are a group of
macromolecules that make
up the bodies of
organisms.
• Proteins are the end
products of gene
expression.
 
• They are made up of
building blocks called amino
acids (figure 5), there are
20 known amino acids that
exist in nature.

 
• Amino acids are linked
together by peptide
bonds. Proteins have four
different structures: The
primary, secondary,
tertiary and quaternary
structure (Figure 6).
General Structure of an Amino Acid
4 Protein Structures
 LIPIDS
• Lipids are a group of
biological molecules that
are not soluble in water
but are soluble in oils.
Fats are one kind of
• lipid.
• Oils, such as olive oil, corn
oil, and coconut oil are also
lipids, as are waxes.
• There are two kinds of
fatty acids: the saturated
fatty acids and the
unsaturated fatty acids
(figure 7).
Lipid Structure
• Saturated – single bond
of carbon
• Unsaturated – carbon to
carbon double bond
 NUCLEIC ACID
• All organisms store their
genetic information specifying
the structures of their proteins
in nucleic acids.

 
• Nucleic acids (figure 8) are
long polymers of repeating
subunits called nucleotides
(figure 9).

 
• Each nucleotide consists of
three smaller building blocks.
• There are 2 kinds of nucleic
acids DNA (deoxyribonucleic
acid) and RNA (ribonucleic
acid).

 
A Nucleotide Structure
A Nucleic Acid Structure
(DNA)