Organic Chemistry Flashcards
4 groups of molecules that make organic compounds
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids
Why is carbon everywhere in organic chemistry?
it has 4 valence e- and wants to form 4 covalent bonds to stabilize -> it can form all kinds of shapes (chains, rings, branches)
Macromolecule
long, complex, often repeating units
eg. glycoprotein (carb + protein)
Carbohydrate
energy, storage of energy, cellular structures
‘hydrated carbon’ (water containing)
CH2O
3 types: mono, di, polysaccharides
monosaccharide
simplest carb, simple sugar
water soluble, hydrophilic
3-7 C in a ring
- hexose sugar: 6 C
eg. glucose, fructose (found in fruit then converted into glucose in the body)
- pentose sugar: 5 C
eg. deoxyribose, ribose
disaccharide
simple
2 monosaccharides joined by dehydration synthesis reaction (anabolism)
- water gets extracted (created) during ‘dehydration synthesis’
- hydrolysis (catabolims): when disaccharide decomposes into its monosaccharide components
eg. glucose + fructose = sucrose (table sugar)
anabolism
cells using synthesis reactions to build molecules they need for functioning
hydrolysis
type of catabolism. sucrose is decomposed into glucose and fructose using water
- releases the energy held in bonds and generates the molecular building blocks a cell needs
catabolism
opposite of anabolism, decomposition of nutrients
eg. hydrolysis
polysaccharides
combo of many monosaccharides joined by dehydration synthesis
not soluble
structure or energy storage function
eg. glycogen (stores fuel in body), starch (stores fuel in plants), cellulose (plant structure, digested into monosaccharides by herbivores and used for fuel)
most abundant organic molecule in biosphere
cellulose
glycoprotein
macromolecule of carbohydrate attached to a protein
lipids
energy stored in fat, structure, some hormones (chemical messengers)
generally hydrophobic
C, O, H (like carbs, but lower O)
- sometimes P
5 lipid classes
neutral fats (triglycerides)
waxes
phospholipids
steroids
eicosanoids
neutral fats (triglycerides)
3 fatty acids + 1 glycerol (3 C simple sugar) molecule
- function: energy. body gets energy by breaking down (hydrolysis) bonds, then stores excess in adipose
- hydrophobic
- nonpolar
- form an ‘E’ shape with glycerol as the backbone.
- formed through dehydration synthesis (3 waters produced)
fatty acid
building block of lipids
carboxylic acid chain (usually straight)
- chain of C with 1-2 H attached (single or double bond) to each carbon
- nonpolar tails
- saturated: all single bonds, as many H attached to C as possible (animal fat, solid at room temp)
- unsaturated: 1+ double bonds, not all C filled with H (plant fat, liquid)
lipoprotein
macromolecule of proteins + lipids
- transport of fat
- hydrophilic proteins allow the fat to be shielded from blood plasma as it travels
phospholipids
glycerol backbone + 2 fatty acids in one direction
+ 1 phosphate group (PO4) attached to N compound in other direction
- main component of cellular membranes, myelin sheath
P attached to N side (head):
- hydrophilic (soluble)
- polar
2 fatty acid side (tail):
- hydrophobic (insoluble)
- nonpolar
-> makes phospholipids have 2 layers (‘lipid bilayer’) when placed in water (heads attach to water, tails repel)
steroids
4 interlocking HC rings
- hydrophobic
- nonpolar
- very little O
- different types form by attaching functional groups
eg. cholesterol (forms bile salts to help fat digestion, used to create hormones [steroid precursor])
- cortisol: glucocorticoid produced in adrenal, increases glucose and glycogen in body, anti-inflammatory
- aldosterone: mineralcorticoid made in adrenal, influences absorption of Na and Cl in kidney, water balance in body
- estrogen
- sodium glycocholate: principle bile salt (fat digestion: emulsify lipids and break up large fat globules so there’s more surface area for hydrolysis. secreted by liver)
eicosanoids
20 (‘eicosa’) C fatty acid + ring structure
- important for mediating complex chemical processes
- prostaglandins (PGs): mediate inflammation
- thromboxane: mediate platelet function (vasoconstriction and clumping)
- leukotrienes: mediate bronchoconstriction + increase mucus
most abundant organic molecule inside body
protein
proteins
C, O, H, N (sometimes P, S, Fe)
- amino acids linked (sequence makes them unique and defines function)
think ‘worker’ molecules that organize and facilitate all metabolic processes:
- catalyze (speed up) reactions in body
- transport ions in and out of cells
- cell and tissue structure
- growth
- defense against invaders
amino acids
20 that share same basic structure
- central C attached to H, amino group (NH2), carboxyl group (COOH), and a unique side chain designated with ‘R’
- R group defines each amino acid
- link together to form proteins (building blocks)
- DNA determines arrangement (shape) of amino acids (which determines the function of resulting proteins)
- R group can be: a) neutral/nonpolar b) neutral/polar c) basic d) acidic
aminos linked by dehydration synthesis (COOH of one links to NH2 of another)
= peptide bond, dipeptide (2 NH2), tripeptide (3 NH2), polypeptide (10+ NH2), ‘protein’ (100+ NH2)
protein structures
shape (2 kinds) directly determines function
- fibrous: long and firm
- globular: puzzle piece shape that connects to invaders, ‘antibodies’
4 levels:
1. primary structure: sequence of NH2s that form peptide chain
2. secondary: bend of the peptide chain (results from H bonds)
3. tertiary: overall shape of single protein molecule from folding in (H and covalent bonds)
4. quaternary: 2+ protein chains join to form macromolecule, stabilized by H and covalent bonds
amino acid shapes (secondary)
most common: alpha helix (slinky) and beta-pleated (accordion)
can both occur within the same protein at different spots along the chain
formation of tertiary structure
protein molecule folds in on itself so hydrophobic amino acids are shielded from watery environment, outer hydrophilic amino acids allow the protein to be water soluble
- held by:
1. hydrophobic regions inside
2. H bonds (3+)
3. salt bridges between acidic and basic amino acids
4. disulfide bonds (S in part of protein covalently bonded to S in another part) eg. found in vasopressin and oxytocin
structural proteins (fibrous)
stable, rigid, water-insoluble
- add strength to tissue or cells
- long stringy shape
eg. collagen (main protein in CT), fibrin (CT in blood clots), keratin