Organic Compounds and Carbohydrates Quiz

Organic Compounds

• Organic compounds primarily consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
• They are essential for life processes.
• Biomolecules, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, are types of organic compounds.
• Carbon's versatility in forming covalent bonds with other elements and itself creates a vast array of organic compounds.
• Organic compound classifications are based on functional groups, which are specific atom groups that give molecules unique properties.

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are the body's primary energy source.
• Their structure follows a 1:2:1 ratio of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms (carbohydrates can be represented by the general formula C₆H₁₂O₆).
• They are categorized as simple (monosaccharides and disaccharides) or complex (polysaccharides) based on their molecular size and unit number.
• Monosaccharides: These are the simplest carbohydrates, serving as building blocks. Examples include glucose, fructose, and galactose (all with the same chemical formula but different structures). Monosaccharides can form rings through intramolecular reactions, leading to more stable forms.
• Glucose: Body's primary stored energy source, found in fruits and vegetables.
• Fructose: Found in fruits, honey.
• Galactose: Found in dairy, fruits, and vegetables, converted to glucose by the liver.
• Disaccharides: Two monosaccharides linked by a glycosidic bond. Examples include:
• Sucrose (table sugar): Fructose + Glucose, derived from sugarcane and sugar beet.
• Maltose: Two glucose units, from starchy foods (potatoes, corn).
• Lactose (milk sugar): Glucose + Galactose, most abundant carbohydrate in milk. Lactase deficiency impedes lactose digestion.
• Polysaccharides: Complex carbohydrates made of many monosaccharides.
• Glycogen (animal starch): Complex, branched structure, glucose storage in liver and muscle. Released when blood glucose levels are low.
• Chitin: Major component of fungi and arthropod exoskeletons, has various applications; a derivative of glucose.
• Carbohydrates provide 4 kcal of energy per gram.
• Carbohydrates can also combine with proteins (glycoproteins) and lipids (glycolipids) for vital bodily functions. Ribose, a type of carbohydrate, is a component of DNA and RNA.

Lipids (Fats and Oils)

• Lipids are another major class of biomolecules, including fats and oils. Fats are animal-derived; oils are plant or fish-derived.
• Fat is a solid at room temperature; oil is a liquid.
• Lipids are composed of triglycerides, esters of glycerol and three fatty acids.
• Fatty acids are carboxylic acids with hydrocarbon chains (R); they are either saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fatty acids have single carbon-carbon bonds; unsaturated fatty acids have double or triple bonds.
• Cholesterol is a type of lipid, both dietary and naturally synthesized.
• Cholesterol is transported by lipoproteins (LDL and HDL). LDL ("bad cholesterol") can build up in artery walls. HDL ("good cholesterol") removes LDL, preventing buildup.
• Fat provides 9 kcal of energy per gram.
• Fats are stored in adipose tissue, serving as a reserve energy source when carbohydrate reserves are low (e.g., low-carb diets, cold weather).
• Fats aid in vitamin (A, D, E, K) absorption.
• Contain essential fatty acids which cannot be synthesized by the body.

Proteins

• Proteins are long chains (polymers) of amino acids (comprised of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen).
• 20 types of amino acids exist, each with a different side chain (R).
• Amino acids are categorized as essential (obtained from food) or nonessential (produced in the body).
• Complete proteins contain all essential amino acids, derived from animal sources; incomplete proteins lack certain essential amino acids , plant derived.
• Complementary proteins are combinations of incomplete proteins that provide all essential amino acids, creating a necessary balance in amino acid intake.
• Proteins have a secondary structure involving non-covalent forces (like hydrogen bonds), resulting in a specific three-dimensional shape.
• Common secondary structures are alpha-helices (coiled polypeptide strands) and beta-pleated sheets (side-by-side pleated arrangement).

Nucleic Acids

• Nucleic acids are long chains of nucleotides.
• A nucleotide consists of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
• Two types of nitrogenous bases are pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, uracil) and purines (adenine, guanine).
• Nucleic acids are categorized into DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).
• DNA stores genetic information, directing organism characteristics; RNA transfers genetic information and directs protein synthesis.
• DNA is composed of deoxyribose sugar, phosphate groups, and bases thymine, cytosine, adenine, and guanine, forming a double helix.
• Complementary base pairing (A with T, G with C) is characteristic of DNA's structure.
• RNA is composed of ribose sugar, phosphate groups, and bases adenine, uracil, guanine, and cytosine, and forms a single strand.
• Three major types of RNA: mRNA (messenger), rRNA(ribosomal), tRNA (transfer) play roles in protein synthesis.

Test your knowledge on organic compounds and their significance in life processes. This quiz will cover the essentials of carbohydrates, their structures, classifications, and functions in the body. Dive into the world of biomolecules and enhance your understanding of organic chemistry.