Organic Molecules

a.k.a. BioMolecules

Most Common Elements in

Living Things
C carbon
N nitrogen
S sulfur
H hydrogen
O oxygen
P phosphorous

What do you have in common with

these objects?

What is an organic compound?

An organic
compound is a
compound that
contains carbon
Carbon is covalently
bonded to other
elements, usually
other carbons,
oxygen and
hydrogen

Why Carbon?
Carbon is capable of forming many
different compounds because it can form
4 covalent bonds
Carbon can also bond with other carbon
atoms in different arrangements

Chains, branched chains, rings

Can also form single, double or triple bonds

What is a covalent bond?

Covalent bonds form when atoms SHARE

electrons

What else can Carbon do?

Carbon can bond

with other carbon
atoms in different
arrangements.

Chains
Branched chains
Rings

Main Types of Organic Compounds

Carbohydrates
Proteins
Lipids
Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrate

Contain Carbon,
Hydrogen and
Oxygen
Have twice as many
H as C

Carbohydrates

Made up of
Monosaccharides

Simple sugars
Ex: Glucose, Fructose

Carbohydrates

Monosaccharides combine to form

Disaccharides
Disaccharides are 2 monosaccharides joined
together

Ex: table sugar = glucose + fructose

Carbohydrates

Polysaccharide = 3 or more monosaccharides

combined

Ex: Starch (see p. 34)

Macromolecule = large molecule made up of

many smaller molecules

What happens to Carbohydrates?

During digestion,
carbohydrates are
broken down into
Monosaccharides
(glucose and
fructose)and then
used by the cells in
your body.