Chapter 4 CARBON AND THE MOLECULAR DIVERSITY OF LIFE

Summary of Chapter 4, BIOLOGY, 9

TH
ED Campbell, by J.B. ee!e et al. "#$$.
Carbon containing molecules are important biological molecules.
Carbon has the ability to form large, complex molecules by bonding to itself and to other
elements such H, O, N and P.
Carbon containing molecules are called organic molecules.
ORANIC CHEMISTRY
Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that studies carbon compounds.
Organic compounds are so named because they were thought to be produced only by living
organisms.
Compounds containing a bacbone of covalently bonded carbon atoms.
!any organic compounds are synthetic, e.g. plastics.
"here are simple carbon compounds that are considered inorganic especially if they do not
contain hydrogen, e.g. CO, CO#.
Carbon is capable of forming an innumerable number of diverse molecules.
Vi!alism" belief in a life force outside the $urisdiction of chemical and physical laws.
"he functions of organisms depend on a %vital force& independent of chemical and
physical laws.
'n the early ()th century scientists could not synthesi*e organic compound. "hey
thought that only organisms could produce organic compounds.
Organic compounds possessed a %vital force& according to the +italist theory, and
therefore could not be synthesi*ed from inorganic substances.
!ore, http,--www.philosophyprofessor.com-philosophies-vitalism.php
Mec#anism" the belief that physical and chemical laws govern all natural phenomena.
.verything that happens in nature can eventually be explained by chemical and physical
laws.
Pioneers of organic chemistry believed in mec#anism$
/riedrich 01hler synthesi*ed urea in (2#2.
3tanley !iller showed that organic chemistry can be formed from inorganic substances
under the chemical conditions of the primordial .arth.
http,--www.philosophyprofessor.com-philosophies-mechanism.php
Car%on a!oms are &ersa!ile
Carbon atoms form an enormous variety of structures by bonding to four other atoms.
/our valence electrons, !e!ra&alen!.
.ach bond can lin to another carbon or another element in a covalent bond.
Covalent bonds between two carbon atoms or carbon and hydrogen are non4polar
Covalent bonds with atoms except C and H, are polar, and C is slightly positive.
5onds are not easily broen.
Produce a variety of three4dimensional molecules.
3ingle bonds allow rotation6 double and triple bonds do not allow rotation.
Carbon bacbones have a *ig*ag shape.
"hese emergent properties of carbon mae large molecules possible.
"hese properties determine the molecular shape that determines the function of the molecule.
Varia!ion in car%on s'ele!ons$
Carbon chains form the seleton of most organic molecules.
"he seletons may be straight, branched or forming a ring.
H()rocar%ons consist only of carbon and hydrogen.
Hydrocarbons are the main component of petroleum and natural gas.
3ome biological molecules have regions of hydrocarbons, e. g. fats.
Isomers are molecules that have the same molecular formula but different structural formula
and hence different properties.
(. S!ruc!ural isomers differ in the covalent arrangement of their atoms and in the location
of the double bonds.
#. Cis*!rans isomers differ in the spatial arrangement of the bonds. "he double bonds do
not allow the atoms to rotate around the molecular axis. 'n the +cis& arrangement the
functional groups are on the same side of the molecule6 in the +!rans, arrangement they
are on opposite sides. "hese isomers used to be nown as geometrical isomers.
7. Enan!iomers or s!ereoisomers are mirror images of each other and cannot be
superimposed. 8sually one form is biologically active and the other is not. "his is
important in pharmaceuticals because the two enantiomers of a drug may not have the
same effect. Organisms can only synthesi*e 94glucose, and utili*e :4 amino acids.
;dditional information, http,--www.cem.msu.edu-<reusch-+irt"xt=ml-intro7.htm
FUNCTIONAL ROU-S
"hese are groups of atoms that give distinctive chemical properties to the molecule they
become attached.
LE%& THE &%'E %&D ST(CT(E O) THE SI* )(&CTIO&%L GO(+S GI,E& O&
+%GES -4 a./ -0. YOU WILL BE TESTED ON THIS TOPIC.
"he #()ro.(l grou/, 4OH, is polar and attracts water helping dissolve organic compounds
carrying this group.
'f the car%on(l grou/ is at the end of a molecule, the compound is an al)e#()e$ 'f it is in the
middle, the compound is a 'e!one.
Compounds containing the car%o.(l grou/ are carboxylic acids. 't is a source of H
>
. "he
hydrogen of hydroxyl group tends to ioni*e reversibly. 't is found ioni*ed in cells and it is called a
carboxylate group. ;cetic acid is carboxylic acid.
Organic compounds with amino grou/s are called amines$ ;mino groups act as bases, they
can pic up a proton from their surroundings.
!olecules with the sul0#()r(l grou/ are called !#iols$ 3ulfhydryl groups help stabili*e the
structure of proteins.
-#os/#a!e is an anion formed by the dissociation of phosphoric acid. One function of
phosphate groups is the transfer of energy between organic molecules. 't forms organic
phosphates.
5iological diversity has its molecular basis in carbon?s ability to form a large number of
molecules with particular shapes and chemical properties.
3ummary of chapter 4,
http,--www.mansfield.ohio4state.edu-<sabedon-campbl@4.htmAvocabulary
(. +italism and mechanism theories
#. Organic chemistry
7. Properties of the carbon atom
"etravalent
Covalent bonds
5ond polarity
+ariety of molecular structures
Hydrocarbons
4. 'somers
3tructural isomers, different arrangement
Beometric isomers, importance of double bond
.nantiomers, mirror images
C. /unctional groups
:earn the structure and name of each group