Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 4 - Carbon and The Molecular Diversity of Life
Chapter 4 - Carbon and The Molecular Diversity of Life
Figure 4.1
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
• Concept 4.1: Organic chemistry is the study of
carbon compounds
• Organic compounds
– Range from simple molecules to colossal ones
A variety of organic compounds that play key roles in living cells were
RESULTS synthesized in Miller’s apparatus.
Organic compounds may have been synthesized abiotically on the
CONCLUSION early Earth, setting the stage for the origin of life. (We will explore
Figure 4.2 this hypothesis in more detail in Chapter 26.)
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
• Concept 4.2: Carbon atoms can form diverse
molecules by bonding to four other atoms
H H
(b) Ethane
C2H6 H C C H
H H
(c) Ethene H H
C2H4 C C
Figure 4.3 A-C (ethylene) H H
H O N C
Figure 4.4
• Carbon chains
– Form the skeletons of most organic molecules
100 µm
Figure 4.6 A, B (a) A fat molecule (b) Mammalian adipose cells
Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Isomers
• Isomers
– Are molecules with the same molecular
formula but different structures and properties
– Geometric
– Enantiomers
H
H C H
H C H
H H H H H H H
(a) Structural isomers H C C C C C H H C C C H
H H H H H H H H
X X H X
(b) Geometric isomers C C C C
H H X H
CO2H CO2H
(c) Enantiomers C C
H NH2 NH2 H
CH3 CH3
L-Dopa D-Dopa
(effective against (biologically
Figure 4.8 Parkinson’s disease) inactive)
• Functional groups
– Are the chemically reactive groups of atoms
within an organic molecule
OH
CH3
Estradiol
HO
Female lion
OH
CH3
CH3
O
Testosterone
– Carbonyl
– Carboxyl
– Amino
– Sulfhydryl
– Phosphate
FUNCTIONAL
HYDROXYL CARBONYL CARBOXYL
GROUP
O O
OH C C
(may be written HO ) OH
STRUCTURE In a hydroxyl group (—OH), The carbonyl group When an oxygen atom is double-
a hydrogen atom is bonded
to an oxygen atom, which in
( CO) consists of a
carbon atom joined to
bonded to a carbon atom that is
also bonded to a hydroxyl group,
turn is bonded to the carbon an oxygen atom by a the entire assembly of atoms is
skeleton of the organic double bond. called a carboxyl group (—
molecule. (Do not confuse COOH).
this functional group with
Figure 4.10 the hydroxide ion, OH–.)
H H
O
H C C C
H H H
Figure 4.10 Propanal, an aldehyde
FUNCTIONAL Is polar as a result of the A ketone and an Has acidic properties because
PROPERTIES electronegative oxygen aldehyde may be it is a source of hydrogen ions.
structural isomers with The covalent bond between
atom drawing electrons
different properties, as oxygen and hydrogen is so polar
toward itself. is the case for acetone that hydrogen ions (H+) tend to
Attracts water molecules, and propanal. dissociate reversibly; for
helping dissolve organic example,
compounds such as sugars
(see Figure 5.3).
H O H O
H C C H C C + H+
H OH H O
H SH O
N (may be written HS ) O P OH
H OH
H H H H OH OH H O
O
C C N H C C SH H C C C O P O
HO H H H H H O
H H
Glycine Ethanethiol
Glycerol phosphate
H H
(nonionized) (ionized)