Organic Chemistry: Carbohydrates Overview

Organic Chemistry

• Organic chemistry studies organic compounds.
• All organic compounds contain carbon.
• Many organic compounds come from living things.
• Most naturally occurring compounds are organic.

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.
• Sugars and starches are examples.
• Living organisms use carbohydrates as an energy source and structural support.

Monosaccharides

• Simplest carbohydrates (simple sugars).
• Examples include glucose and fructose.

Disaccharides

• Two monosaccharides covalently bonded together.
• Examples include sucrose (glucose + fructose), lactose (glucose + galactose), and maltose (glucose + glucose).

Polysaccharides

• Large polymers composed of thousands of linked monosaccharides.
• Examples include starch, cellulose and glycogen.
• Starch: found in wheat, rice, corn, and potatoes; plants store glucose as starch.
• Cellulose: structural support in plants.
• Glycogen: animals store excess sugars as glycogen.

Lipids

• Lipids include fats, oils, waxes, and steroids.
• Generally composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, similar to carbohydrates but in different ratios.

Fats

• Composed of glycerol and three fatty acids.
• Used for energy storage and insulation.
• Excess carbohydrates are converted to fats for storage.
• Fatty acids are long chains of carbon atoms with an acid group at one end.
• The structure of fatty acids determines the properties of the fat.
• (Approximately 30 fatty acids in animals).

Other Lipids

• Phospholipids: Lipids containing phosphorous (phosphate); major component of cell membranes.
• Steroids: Composed of four linked carbon rings; examples include cholesterol and hormones that regulate bodily functions.
• Waxes: Organic compounds composed of fatty acids and alcohols, often used for protection or waterproofing.

Proteins

• Proteins are organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.
• Essential components of living organisms (muscles, hair, and skin).
• Proteins are polymers of amino acids.

Amino Acids

• Building blocks of proteins.
• Twenty different amino acids are used to make proteins.
• Amino acids are composed of an amino group (-NH2), a carboxyl group (-COOH), and a side group that determines the amino acid's identity.
• The bonds between amino groups form peptide bonds

Protein Functions

• Movement: Actin and myosin in muscle fibers.
• Structure: Collagen (connective tissue).
• Control: Enzymes that speed up chemical reactions.
• Transport: Hemoglobin (carries oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood)
• Storage: Casein in milk stores amino acids for developing offspring.
• Regulation: Hormones that regulate growth, development, and metabolism
• Defense: Antibodies of the immune system

Nucleic Acids

• Large complex molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorous (DNA and RNA).
• Genetic material.
• DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid): Stores genetic information in cells.
• RNA (Ribonucleic Acid): Assists in protein synthesis.