Introduction To Organic Compounds

Question 1

Explain why carbon is unparalleled in its ability to form large, diverse
molecules.

Answer 1

Carbon only has four electrons on its outer shell. the out shell can and “wants” to hold 8 electrons, so in order to do this it bonds (in a covalent bond) with other 4 atoms which creates large and diverse molecules.

Question 2

Organic Compounds

Answer 2

Carbon based molecules

Question 3

Hydrocarbons

Answer 3

Compounds composed of only carbon and hydrogen

Question 4

Carbon Skeleton

Answer 4

Chain of Carbon atoms in an organic molecule

Question 5

List the four main classes of macromolecules

Answer 5

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids

Question 6

Explain the relationship between monomers and polymers.

Answer 6

Imagine a string of beads making up a necklace. The necklace in the polymer, the individual beads are the monomers.

With that image in mind, consider the polysaccharides amylase (one of the components of starch) - this is made by combining hundreds of glucose molecules (monomers) in a long string.

Question 7

Compare the processes of dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis.

Answer 7

Synthesis
- Bonds are formed through the removal of water.

Hydrolysis
- Bonds are broken through the addition of water.

Question 8

List the elements that make up carbohydrates

Answer 8

(C, H, O)

Question 9

Explain the relationship among monosaccharides, disaccharides and
polysaccharides.

Answer 9

Monosaccharide is a simple sugar consist only of one unit. They serve as building blocks for more complex carbohydrate forms.

Disaccharides are a group of sugars composed of two monosaccharide groups linked together through the loss of sugar.

Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates composed of numerous monosaccharides combined through the loss of water molecules.

Question 10

List other examples of monosaccharides including fructose

Answer 10

> Glucose
Fructose
Galactose

Question 11

List several examples of disaccharides including lactose, maltose and sucrose

Answer 11

> Maltose = Glucose + Glucose
Sucrose (which we call table sugar, cane sugar, or “sugar” itself) = Glucose + Fructose
Lactose = Glucose + Galactose

Question 12

Explain plants’ use of sucrose.

Answer 12

The main carbohydrate in plant sap, sucrose nourishes all the parts of the plant. We extract it from the stems of sugarcane or the roots of sugar beets to use as table sugar.

Question 13

Explain how disaccharides are formed (dehydration reaction) and broken down
(hydrolysis).

Answer 13

Dehydration Reaction: 1 OH from one glucose and 1 H from the other glucose come together to form H2O. When this happens the two monomers link together and form a disaccharide

Question 14

List several examples of polysaccharides including starch, glycogen, cellulose
and chitin.

Answer 14

> Starch 
> Amylose 
> Amylopectin 
> Dextrins 
> Glycogen 
>Cellulose
>Chitin

Question 15

Polysaccharides

Answer 15

Polymers or monsaccharides linked together by dehydration reactions. Polysaccharides may function as storage molecules.

Question 16

Starch

Answer 16

Storage polysaccharide in plants, consists entirely of glucose monomers. Starch molecules coil into a helical shape because of the angles of the bonds joining their glucose units.

Question 17

Glycogen

Answer 17

Storage of excess sugar for animals. Most of human glycogen is stored as granules in our liver and muscle cells.

Question 18

Cellulose

Answer 18

Polymer of glucose but its glucose monomers are linked together in a different orientation. Arranged parallel to each other, cellulose molecules are joined by hydrogen bonds, forming part of fibril.

Question 19

Chitin

Answer 19

Used by insects and crustaceans to build their exoskeleton.

Question 20

Explain how polysaccharides are formed (dehydration reaction) and broken down
(hydrolysis).

Answer 20

If dehydration synthesis continues for a long time, a long and complex carbohydrate chain called a polysaccharide is formed.

Question 21

Dehydration synthesis

Answer 21

Dehydration means to take water out. Thes when you use dehydration synthesis, you are building something up while taking water out. In carbohydrates, an H from one carbohydrate and an OH from another are taken out. They form water. The two carbohydrates are then joined together by a bond called a glycosidic linkage.

Question 22

Hydrolysis

Answer 22

Hydrolysis is simple the reverse of dehydration synthesis. You add water to a molecule to break it down. If dehydration synthesis continues for a long time, a long and complex carbohydrate chain called a polysaccharide is formed.