Life substances

The Role of Carbon in Organisms

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How many different words can you make from the letters: R T A E ?

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Think about the amount of words you could make from only 4 letters. Now explain how only 90 natural elements could form all of the different substances on Earth.

Structure of carbon 4 electrons in its outer shell = 4

covalent bonds Allows for different shapes

of structures Allows for diversity in

carbon compounds

Structure of carbon Isomers – compounds that have

the same chemical formula, but differ in three dimensional shape.

Polymers of carbon are large molecules made from many smaller carbon molecule units (sugars starches)

Carbohydrates Provide energy (esp. for nervous

system) C, H, O - 1:2:1 Simple sugars = monosaccharides Monosaccharides can link together

to form a polysaccharide – starch

Lipids Mostly carbon and hydrogen w/ very

little oxygen Fats, oils, steroids Glycerol “backbone” w/ fatty acids

attached = glyceride Functions: energy storage, insulation,

protective coverings; major component in membranes

Proteins Made of C, H, O, N, and

sometime S Monomer = amino acid (20

common ones) Combinations of amino acids can

make thousands of different 3-D proteins

Proteins Amino acids are linked together

through dehydration synthesis creating a peptide bond

Enzyme is a protein catalyst; it is used to speed up a reaction, usually by lowering its activation energy, but is not used up in the reaction

Nucleic Acids Complex molecule used to

store hereditary info Monomers = nucleotide =

sugar, nitrogenous base, phosphate group

Made up of C, H, N, P, and O

Nucleic Acids

Found in DNA and RNA – named for the sugar found on the nucleotides

DNA is the gene sequence found in all organisms

RNA is used in protein synthesis in various ways