Carbon The Element of Life

A. The Chemistry of Carbon

a. Carbon has 4 valence electrons allowing
them to form strong covalent bonds with
many other elements [ex. O, P, S, N, H]
b. Living Organisms are made up of
molecules that contain carbon because:
i. Can form long chains with other carbon
atoms
ii. Can form complex structures, making it
versatile
iii. Can form single, double, and/or triple
bonds
B. Macromolecules
a. Giant molecule that can be made up of
thousands of smaller molecules
i. Polymerization: process where large
compounds are built by joining smaller
ones together
1. Monomers: small units a puzzle piece
2. Polymers: chains of monomers the
whole puzzle

b.4 Main Types of Organic Macromolecules

i. Carbohydrates: Made of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen in a ratio 1:2:1
1. Main source of metabolism [energy]
2. Glucose is a simple sugar =
monosaccharide [glucose, fructose]
3. Complex carbohydrates = polysaccharide
[starch, cellulose, glycogen]
4. Below is Glucose [C6 H12 O6]
ii. Lipids: mostly made of [C] and [H]; fats, oils,
and waxes and do not dissolve in water
1. Used to store energy
2. Part of biological membranes
3. Used for waterproof covering
4. Saturated fats [contains max. Number of [H]
atoms (solid at room temperatures)
5. Polyunsaturated fats [contain one double bond
and are liquid at room temperature

iii.Nucleic acids: contains [C, H, O, N, P]

1. Are polymers formed by monomers known as
nucleotides [5 C, a phosphate group (-PO4 ) and
nitrogen base
2. Nucleic acids store and tranmit heredity or genetic
information [DNA, RNA]
 iv. Proteins: contains [N, O, H, C] and are
polymers called amino acids [building blocks of
proteins]
1. Over 20 types of amino acids that form different
shaped proteins = different functions
2. Proteins control the rate of reactions, regulate cell
processes, transport substance in/out of the cell and
other help fight diseases

Vocabulary to Note:
Monomer
Polymer
Carbohydrate
Proteins
Lipids
Polyunsaccaride
Saccaride
Aminoacid
Nucleic acid
Nucleotide