Organic Molecules

Dr. Latifur Rehman (Assistant Professor)

Department of Biotechnology
University of Swabi
Introduction
• Organic chemistry: chemistry of living organisms
• Inorganic chemistry: chemistry of nonliving organisms
• Today, the term organic is used to identify those molecules and
compounds that contain both carbon and hydrogen atoms
• Classes of organic molecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and
nucleic acids
• Also called biomolecules
• 5,000 different organic molecules in bacteria, double in animals &
plants
The Carbon Atom
• Carbon makes organic molecules the same but also different, how?
• Carbon- small atom with just 6 electrons (K=2, L=4)
• Carbon atom almost always forms covalent bonds
• Can make bonds with carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus, and sulfur
• Same elements that make up living organisms
• C-C plays role in the shape and function of molecules
• Hydrocarbens
Continued.
• Hydrocarbon- linear or ring (when dissolved in water)
• Bonds (single, double, triple)
• Branches may also form at any carbon atom, allowing
the formation of long, complex carbon chains
• This flexibility makes carbon the ideal building block
for biomolecules
• Thus have an important role in establishing the diversity of organic
molecules
The Carbon Skeleton and Functional Groups
• Carbon chain of an organic molecule is called its skeleton, or
backbone and is responsible for the shape (like skeleton of your body)
• Living organisms are diverse, so are organic molecules
• This diversity comes from the attachment of different functional
groups to the carbon skeleton
• Functional group: specific combination of bonded atoms that always
has the same chemical properties and always reacts in the same way,
regardless of the carbon skeleton to which it is attached
Continued.
• Chemical reactivity of a biomolecule can be
attributed to its functional groups, rather
than to the carbon skeleton
• Functional groups’ configuration determine
the properties of the biomolecule
• E.g. the addition of an −OH to a carbon
skeleton turns that molecule into an
alcohol
• Ethane becomes ethanol (-OH addition)
Continued.
• Another example is organic molecules that contain carboxyl groups
(− COOH)
• Carboxyl groups are highly polar
• In a water environment, they tend to ionize and release hydrogen ions
in solution, therefore acting as an acid
• Functional groups determine the types of reactions it will undergo
• Alcohols react with carboxyl groups when a fat forms
• Carboxyl groups react with amino groups during protein formation
Isomers
• Isomers are organic molecules that have identical molecular formulas
but different arrangements of atoms
• Same molecular formula but
different functional groups
• We would expect them to have
different properties and react differently in chemical reactions
• Isomers are variations in the molecular structure of a molecule
• Example of how the chemistry of carbon leads to variations in the
structure of organic molecules
The Biomolecules of Cells
• Carbohydrates

• Lipids

• Proteins

• Nucleic Acids