Chapter 4 : Molecules of life

FOCUS:
Organic molecules
The carbon atoms
The carbon skeleton and functional groups
The organic molecules of cells
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Protein
Nucleic acids
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 Organic molecules
• Compounds containing carbon is said to be
organic.
• The simplest form of organic compound is
methane (CH4). The most complex form of
organic compound could be proteins, with
thousands of atoms.
• Most organic compounds contain hydrogen
atoms in addition to carbon atoms.

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 Carbon atoms
• Carbon has 6 electrons, with 2 in the first shell and 4
in the second shell. Carbon has 4 valence electrons
in a shell that holds 8 electrons.
• Carbon completes its valence shell by sharing its 4
electrons with other atoms to complete its 8
electron valence.
• Carbon could form single or double covalent bonds.
• When a carbon atom forms four single covalent
bonds, the arrangement of its four hybrid orbitals
causes the bonds to angle toward corners of an
imaginary tetrahedron.
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Molecular shape model

Methane (CH4)
 Carbon atoms
• In molecules with two carbon atoms, where
each carbon has four single bonds, is shaped
like two overlapping tetrahedrons. For example
in ethane (C2H6).

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 Carbon atoms
• In molecules with two carbon atoms, where
the two carbon atoms is joined by double bond,
is shaped are in the same plane as the carbons.
For example in ethene (ethylene) (C2H4).

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The shapes of three simple organic molecules
 Frequent partners of carbon atoms
• In completion of carbon valence shell, its most
frequent partners are hydrogen, oxygen and
nitrogen.
• In carbon dioxide molecule (CO2), a single
carbon is joined with two atoms of oxygen by
double covalent bonds. The structural formula is:
O=C=O
• Because CO2 lacks of hydrogen, it is considered
inorganic although it contains carbon.

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 Frequent partners of carbon atoms
• Urea, CO(NH2)2, is the organic compound found
in urine.
• Carbon atom participates in both single bond
and double bonds. The structural formula is:

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 The carbon skeleton
• Carbon chain form the skeletons of most organic
molecules.
• The skeletons vary in length, maybe straight,
branched or arranged in closed ring.

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Variation of carbon skeleton
Variation of carbon skeleton
 The carbon skeleton
• Some carbon skeleton have double bonds and
vary in number and locations.

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 Functional groups
• Chains of carbon or carbon skeleton could be
bonded to other chemical groups known as
functional groups.
• There are seven functional groups that are
important in biological processes:
1. Hydroxyl (-OH)
2. Carbonyl (=CO)
3. Carboxyl (-COOH)
4. Amino (- NH2)
5. Sulfhydryl (- SH)
6. Phosphate (- OPO32- or ℗)
7. Methyl (- CH3)
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 Functional groups : Phosphate
• An ATP or adenosine triphosphate is an organic
molecule containing adenosine and three
phosphate groups:

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 Functional groups : Phosphate
• In ATP, when one single phosphate split, this
reaction releases energy and ATP becomes ADP.
• Energy releases is used by cell for metabolism.

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