Carbon Compounds Isomers Monkemeier Honors Biology.

Carbon CompoundsIsomers

Monkemeier

Honors Biology

Carbon Skeletons

The framework of biological molecules consists predominately of carbon atoms bonded to other carbon atoms or atoms of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen or sulfur.

Carbon skeletons form the backbone of biological molecules

Carbon skeletons occur in chains, branched chains or rings.

Four Major Types of Biological Molecules and Carbon Skeletons!

The four major types of biological molecules: carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins.

Carbon chains often contain hydrogen. The C-C and C- H bonds are nonpolar since carbon and hydrogen have similar electronegativities.

Functional Groups

Functional Groups are specific groups of atoms (that are covalently bonded together) that have definite chemical properties that they retain no matter where they occur.

Functional Groups attached to a “carbon – chain” molecule provide that molecule with their definite chemical properties!

Functional Groups

Carbon Skeletons and Isomers!

Isomers are compounds with the same chemical formula but different structural arrangements.

Structural Isomers

When differences exist in in the actual structure of the carbon skeleton the compounds are structural isomers.

Sterioisomers

These molecules have the same carbon skeleton but differ in how the groups attached to this skeleton are arranged.

Enantiomers

A subcategory of sterioisomers that are mirror images of each other.

Chiral molecules are mirror images of each other.

Chiral molecules are characterized by their effect on polarized light and chiral molecules rotate to the left or right.

Chiral Molecules

Levorotatory rotates the molecule to the left and is designated L

Dextrorotatory rotates the molecule to the right and is designated D.

Chiral Molecules and Living Systems

Living systems tend to produce only a single enantiomer of the tow possible forms (L or D); for example, in most organisms:

D – Sugars

L – amino Acids

HOW?

How do living systems build huge polymers like starch or enzymes?

Instead of building them one atom at a time, they build them one monomer at a time.

Monomers are molecules that act as subunits that when put together form polymers (large macromolecules).

Monomers to Polymers

Monomers to Polymers

Dehydration Synthesis: Monomers to Polymers

Polymers back to Monomers: Hydrolysis

The Four Major Categories

Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins and nucleic acids are all built and broken down using the SAME TWO REACTIONS.

Dehydration Synthesis (aka condensation) forms bonds between monomers.

Hydrolysis (sometimes aka decomposition) breaks the bonds between monomers

In both reactions: DO NOT FORGET THE ROLE of WATER!

NEXT TIME!

The four major categories of macromolecules!

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