Organic Compounds Organic Compounds Online Quizzes for CliffsNotes Biology Quick Review, 2nd Edition Organic Compounds The chemical compounds of living things are known as organic compounds because of their association with organisms and because they are carbon-containing compounds. Organic compounds, which are the compounds associated with life processes, are the subject matter of organic chemistry. Among the numerous types of organic compounds, four major categories are found in all living things: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates Almost all organisms use carbohydrates as sources of energy. In addition, some carbohydrates serve as structural materials. Carbohydrates are molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; the ratio of hydrogen atoms to oxygen and carbon atoms is 2:1. Simple carbohydrates, commonly referred to as sugars, can be monosaccharides if they are composed of single molecules, or disaccharides if they are composed of two molecules. The most important monosaccharide is glucose, a carbohydrate with the molecular formula C6H12O6. Glucose is the basic form of fuel in living things. In multicellular organisms, it is soluble and is transported by body fluids to all cells, where it is metabolized to release its energy.

Glucose is the starting material for cellular respiration, and it is the main product of photosynthesis (see Chapters 5 and 6). Three important disaccharides are also found in living things: maltose, sucrose, and lactose. Maltose is a combination of two glucose units covalently linked. The table sugar sucrose is formed by linking glucose to another monosaccharide called fructose. (Figure 2-2 shows that in the synthesis of sucrose, a water molecule is produced. The process is therefore called a dehydration reaction. The reversal of the process is hydrolysis, a process in which the molecule is split and water is added.) Lactose is composed of glucose and galactose units. Figure 2-2 Glucose and fructose molecules combine to form the disaccharide sucrose. Complex carbohydrates are known as polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are formed by linking innumerable monosaccharides. Among the most important polysaccharides is starch, which is composed of hundreds or thousands of glucose units linked to one another. Starch serves as a storage form for carbohydrates.

Much of the world’s human population satisfies its energy needs with starch in the form of rice, wheat, corn, and potatoes. Two other important polysaccharides are glycogen and cellulose. Glycogen is also composed of thousands of glucose units, but the units are bonded in a different pattern than in starch. Glycogen is the form in which glucose is stored in the human liver. Cellulose is used primarily as a structural carbohydrate. It is also composed of glucose units, but the units cannot be released from one another except by a few species of organisms. Wood is composed chiefly of cellulose, as are plant cell walls. Cotton fabric and paper are commercial cellulose products. Lipids Lipids are organic molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. The ratio of hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms is much higher in lipids than in carbohydrates. Lipids include steroids (the material of which many hormones are composed), waxes, and fats. Fat molecules are composed of a glycerol molecule and one, two, or three molecules of fatty acids (see Figure 2-3). A glycerol molecule contains three hydroxyl (–OH) groups.

A fatty acid is a long chain of carbon atoms (from 4 to 24) with a carboxyl (–COOH) group at one end. The fatty acids in a fat may all be alike or they may all be different. They are bound to the glycerol molecule by a process that involves the removal of water. Certain fatty acids have one or more double bonds in their molecules. Fats that include these molecules are unsaturated fats. Other fatty acids have no double bonds. Fats that include these fatty acids are saturated fats. In most human health situations, the consumption of unsaturated fats is preferred to the consumption of saturated fats. Fats stored in cells usually form clear oil droplets called globules because fats do not dissolve in water. Plants often store fats in their seeds, and animals store fats in large, clear globules in the cells of adipose tissue. The fats in adipose tissue contain much concentrated energy. Hence, they serve as a reserve energy supply to the organism. The enzyme lipase breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol in the human digestive system. Figure 2-3 A fat molecule is constructed by combining a glycerol molecule with three fatty acid molecules.

(Two saturated fatty acids and one unsaturated fatty acid are shown for comparison.) The constructed molecule is at the bottom. Proteins Proteins, among the most complex of all organic compounds, are composed of amino acids (see Figure 2-4), which contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. Certain amino acids also have sulfur atoms, phosphorus, or other trace elements such as iron or copper. Figure 2-4 The structure and chemistry of amino acids. When two amino acids are joined in a dipeptide, the –OH of one amino acid is removed, and the –H of the second is removed. So, water is removed. A dipeptide bond (right) forms to join the amino acids together. Many proteins are immense and extremely complex. However, all proteins are composed of long chains of relatively simple amino acids. There are 20 kinds of amino acids. Each amino acid (see the left illustration in Figure 2-4) has an amino (–NH2) group, a carboxyl (–COOH) group, and a group of atoms called an –R group (where R stands for radical).

The amino acids differ depending on the nature of the –R group, as shown in the middle illustration of Figure 2-4. Examples of amino acids are alanine, valine, glutamic acid, tryptophan, tyrosine, and histidine. The removal of water molecules links amino acids to form a protein. The process is called dehydration synthesis, and a by-product of the synthesis is water. The links forged between the amino acids are peptide bonds, and small proteins are often called peptides. All living things depend on proteins for their existence. Proteins are the major molecules from which living things are constructed. Certain proteins are dissolved or suspended in the watery substance of the cells, while others are incorporated into various structures of the cells. Proteins are also found as supporting and strengthening materials in tissues outside of cells. Bone, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments are all composed of proteins. One essential function of proteins is as an enzyme. Enzymes catalyze the chemical reactions that take place within cells. They are not used up in a reaction; rather, they remain available to catalyze succeeding reactions. Every species manufactures proteins unique to that species.

The information for synthesizing the unique proteins is located in the nucleus of the cell. The so-called genetic code specifies the amino acid sequence in proteins. Hence, the genetic code regulates the chemistry taking place within a cell. Proteins also can serve as a reserve source of energy for the cell. When the amino group is removed from an amino acid, the resulting compound is energy-rich. Nucleic acids Like proteins, nucleic acids are very large molecules. The nucleic acids are composed of smaller units called nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains a carbohydrate molecule (sugar), a phosphate group, and a nitrogen-containing molecule that, because of its properties, is a nitrogenous base. Living organisms have two important nucleic acids. One type is deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. The other is ribonucleic acid, or RNA. DNA is found primarily in the nucleus of the cell, while RNA is found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, a semiliquid substance that composes the volume of the cell (see Chapter 3). DNA and RNA differ from one another in their components. DNA contains the carbohydrate deoxyribose, while RNA has ribose.

In addition, DNA contains the base thymine, while RNA has uracil. The structure of DNA and its importance in cell life is explored in Chapter 10. TheAtomandPeriodicTable - Atoms, Molecules, Elements, Isotopes, and Compounds TheAtomandPeriodicTable What is the difference between an atom, molecule, element, isotope, and compound? How is each one important in our daily lives? What are elements? We have over one hundred elements, from Actinium to Zirconium, and there are still more out there that we haven’t discovered and are yet to be proven. Elements come together to form compounds. Compounds are things like halite (a.k.a salt, made of sodium and chloride). Elements are simple and can not be simplified. Elements are made out of specific combinations of atoms. Elements are important because they form compounds that make humans, water, food, and other objects. They can be gases, solids, and liquids. Some are stable while others aren't. How are elements different than atoms? Atom and elements are not the same. Elements are made out of atoms, but each specific element is made up of certain types and combinations of atoms.

All things are made of atoms, even elements. The element hydrogen is made of a single proton and a single electron. Elements become compounds, like water, when atoms of different elements are combined by a specific chemical formula. What is an isotope? Isotopes are like the “fraternal twins” of elements. They are a different type of the same element. For example, there are six different types of titanium. They are Titanium-44, Titanium-46, Titanium-47, Titanium-48, Titanium-49, and Titanium-50. Isotopes are written differently than elements. To write an isotope, you use aXz. X stands for the element, z is the atomic number, and a is the number of protons and neutrons combined, referred to as a mass number. What are the dangers of isotopes? Isotopes, in general, are not dangerous. With isotopes of a element all looking the same, it can be hard to tell the difference between them. Isotopes have mixtures of neutron and proton numbers that are in the nucleus. These determine stability. Stable isotopes do not decay, unlike radioactive ones.

Stable isotopes form matter in nature like food. While not all isotopes are radioactive or harmful, some are. Some hazardous isotopes include Cesium-137 and Iodine-131. Cesium-137 has a half life of 30 years. It is a metal that is unstable, meaning it’s radioactive. Coming in contact with Cesium-137 can expose you to harmful radiation which can heighten your risk of cancer. Iodine-131 is also radioactive and can give you thyroid problems. What are compounds? Compounds are some of the things we see every day. They are made when two or more elements are joined chemically. When this happens, the atoms loose the properties that they had individually and get different properties from the elements they are made of. Elements form chemical compounds that are divided into two groups, ionic compounds and covalent compounds. When metals usually react with nonmetals, then a ionic compound is made. Ionic compounds are made of positive and negative ions that are created by adding or subtracting electrons from atoms and molecules that are neutral. Nonmetals that combine with each other make covalent compounds.

Ionic compounds have negative and positive ions, are solids like halite, and have high melting and boiling points. Covalent compounds are solids, liquids, or gases, have lower melting and boiling points, and have usually weak forces of attraction between their molecules. Citations: "Elements & Periodic Table." Chem4Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. < >. Dayah, Michael. Dynamic Periodic Table. 1 October 1997. 25 January 2012 < >. "Isotopes." Physics2000. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. < >. "Periodic Table and the Elements." Chem4Kids. 2012. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. < >. "Atoms and Elements." NDT Resource Center. n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. < >. "Background - Isotopes." Basic II. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. < >. "Cesium." Radiation Protection. 8 July 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. < >.

"Iodine." Radiation Protection. 8 July 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. < >. -Megan Duncan Atoms: Atoms have three basic parts which are protons, neutrons, and electrons. Atoms are the foundation for molecules and one molecule can contain from two to as many as one hundred million atoms. There are over a hundred different kinds of atoms including carbon atoms. The number of electrons and protons in an atom are equal. The number of neutrons could be any number. Most atoms are about the same size. Atoms are so tiny and can not be seen even with the most powerful microscope. However, scientists use x-rays to study the arrangement of atoms. They are about a million times smaller than the thickness of a strand of human hair. Atoms are important to us because they form molecules and molecules are involved in the process of living systems. Molecules: Molecules are a group of atoms bonded together. There are more molecules in your body then there are stars in the universe. Each molecule has it's own unique shape that allows it to interact with other molecules. This interaction allows us to move, sense, reproduce, and other things that keep living organisms alive.

Molecules can not be seen with the naked eye, but they can be seen with an electron microscope. Molecules are important to our daily lives because without them we wouldn't be able to move, sense, reproduce, and other things that keep living organisms alive each day. Compounds: Compounds are composed of two or more different elements. Water is one example of a compound. It is formed by hydrogen and oxygen. Halite would be another example which is formed with sodium and chloride. Each compound has it's own distinctive properties. Compounds could be solids, liquids, or gases. There are two different types of compounds. These are organic and inorganic. Organic compounds contain carbon atoms. Inorganic compounds are every other compound that does not contain carbon atoms. When atoms become a part of a compound they lose all of their individual properties. What elements are found in organic compounds? | Reference.com What elements are found in organic compounds? A: Quick Answer All organic compounds contain carbon. Carbon is so important to the structure of organic molecules that organic chemistry has been called the study of carbon and its compounds. Other elements are readily incorporated into organic molecules, though the determining feature of an organic molecule is the presence or absence of carbon atoms.

Full Answer Carbon is unusually eager to form bonds with other atoms, which makes it ideal for building up the large molecules used by living things. To build these molecules, carbon commonly bonds with hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Organic molecules are sometimes able to incorporate other elements as integral parts of their working structure. An example of this is in hemoglobin, which is a type of organic molecule called a protein. Specifically, hemoglobin is a metalloprotein, which means it incorporates atoms of iron into its active site to better capture and transport oxygen in red blood cells. While all organic compounds are built around carbon, not all carbon-based compounds are regarded as organic. For reasons that have more to do with the history of chemistry than with the intrinsic properties of the molecules themselves, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and tungsten carbide are not classed as organic even though they contain carbon bonded with other elements. chemical compound | Britannica.com Chemical compound dye Chemical compound, any substance composed of identical molecules consisting of atoms of two or more chemical elements . Methane, in which four hydrogen atoms are bound to a single carbon atom, is an example of a basic … Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

All the matter in the universe is composed of the atoms of more than 100 different chemical elements , which are found both in pure form and combined in chemical compounds . A sample of any given pure element is composed only of the atoms characteristic of that element, and the atoms of each element are unique. For example, the atoms that constitute carbon are different from those that make up iron , which are in turn different from those of gold . Every element is designated by a unique symbol consisting of one, two, or three letters arising from either the current element name or its original (often Latin) name. For example, the symbols for carbon, hydrogen , and oxygen are simply C, H, and O, respectively. The symbol for iron is Fe, from its original Latin name ferrum. The fundamental principle of the science of chemistry is that the atoms of different elements can combine with one another to form chemical compounds. Methane , for example, which is formed from the elements carbon and hydrogen in the ratio four hydrogen atoms for each carbon atom, is known to contain distinct CH4 molecules.

The formula of a compound—such as CH4—indicates the types of atoms present, with subscripts representing the relative numbers of atoms (although the numeral 1 is never written). A water molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. A single oxygen atom … Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Water , which is a chemical compound of hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio two hydrogen atoms for every oxygen atom, contains H2O molecules. Sodium chloride is a chemical compound formed from sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) in a 1:1 ratio. Although the formula for sodium chloride is NaCl, the compound does not contain actual NaCl molecules. Rather, it contains equal numbers of sodium ions with a charge of positive one (Na+) and chloride ions with a charge of negative one (Cl−). (See below Trends in the chemical properties of the elements for a discussion of the process for changing uncharged atoms to ions [i.e., species with a positive or negative net charge].) The substances mentioned above exemplify the two basic types of chemical compounds: molecular ( covalent ) and ionic . Methane and water are composed of molecules; that is, they are molecular compounds.

Sodium chloride, on the other hand, contains ions; it is an ionic compound. Ions—atoms with a positive or negative net charge—bind together to form ionic compounds. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. work The atoms of the various chemical elements can be likened to the letters of the alphabet: just as the letters of the alphabet are combined to form thousands of words, the atoms of the elements can combine in various ways to form a myriad of compounds. In fact, there are millions of chemical compounds known, and many more millions are possible but have not yet been discovered or synthesized. Most substances found in nature—such as wood, soil, and rocks—are mixtures of chemical compounds. These substances can be separated into their constituent compounds by physical methods, which are methods that do not change the way in which atoms are aggregated within the compounds. Compounds can be broken down into their constituent elements by chemical changes. A chemical change (that is, a chemical reaction ) is one in which the organization of the atoms is altered.

An example of a chemical reaction is the burning of methane in the presence of molecular oxygen (O2) to form carbon dioxide (CO2) and water.CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O In this reaction, which is an example of a combustion reaction , changes occur in the way that the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are bound together in the compounds. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Chemical compounds show a bewildering array of characteristics. At ordinary temperatures and pressures, some are solids , some are liquids , and some are gases . The colours of the various compounds span those of the rainbow. Some compounds are highly toxic to humans, whereas others are essential for life. Substitution of only a single atom within a compound may be responsible for changing the colour, odour, or toxicity of a substance. So that some sense can be made out of this great diversity , classification systems have been developed. An example cited above classifies compounds as molecular or ionic. Compounds are also classified as organic or inorganic . Organic compounds (see below Organic compounds ), so called because many of them were originally isolated from living organisms, typically contain chains or rings of carbon atoms.

Because of the great variety of ways that carbon can bond with itself and other elements, there are more than nine million organic compounds. The compounds that are not considered to be organic are called inorganic compounds (see below Inorganic compounds ). Mercury (chemical symbol: Hg) is the only metal element that is liquid at room temperature. © marcel/Fotolia Ins and Outs of Chemistry Within the broad classifications of organic and inorganic are many subclasses, mainly based on the specific elements or groups of elements that are present. For example, among the inorganic compounds, oxides contain O2− ions or oxygen atoms, hydrides contain H− ions or hydrogen atoms, sulfides contain S2− ions, and so forth. Subclasses of organic compounds include alcohols (which contain the −OH group), carboxylic acids (characterized by the −COOH group), amines (which have an −NH2 group), and so on. The periodic table The different abilities of the various atoms to combine to form compounds can best be understood in terms of the periodic table . The periodic table was originally constructed to represent the patterns observed in the chemical properties of the elements (see chemical bonding ).

That is to say, as the science of chemistry developed, it was observed that elements could be grouped according to their chemical reactivity . Elements with similar properties are listed in vertical columns of the periodic table and are called groups. As the details of the atomic structure were revealed, it became clear that the position of an element in the periodic table correlates with the arrangement of the electrons possessed by the atoms of that element (see atom ). In particular, it was observed that the electrons that determine the chemical behaviour of an atom are those in its outermost shell. Such electrons are called valence electrons . The periodic table of the elements. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest For example, the atoms of the elements in Group 1 of the periodic table all have one valence electron, the atoms of the elements in Group 2 have two valence electrons, and so on, until Group 18, whose elements contain eight valence electrons, is reached. The simplest and most important rule for predicting how atoms form compounds is that atoms tend to combine in ways that allow them either to empty their valence shell or to complete it (i.e., fill it up), in most cases with a total of eight electrons.

Elements on the left side of the periodic table tend to lose their valence electrons in chemical reactions. Sodium (in Group 1), for example, tends to lose its lone valence electron to form an ion with a charge of +1. Each sodium atom has 11 electrons (e−), each with a charge of −1, to just balance the +11 charge on its nucleus. Losing one electron leaves it with 10 negative charges and 11 positive charges to give a net +1 charge: Na → Na+ + e−. Potassium , located directly beneath sodium in Group 1, also forms +1 ions (K+) in its reactions, as do the remaining members of Group 1: rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). The atoms of the elements toward the right end of the periodic table tend to undergo reactions such that they gain (or share) enough electrons to complete their valence shell. For example, oxygen in Group 16 has six valence electrons and thus needs two more electrons to complete its outermost shell. Oxygen achieves this arrangement by reacting with elements that can lose or share electrons.

An oxygen atom, for instance, can react with a magnesium (Mg) atom (in Group 2) by taking magnesium’s two valence electrons, producing Mg2+ and O2− ions. (When a neutral magnesium atom loses two electrons, it forms the Mg2+ ion, and, when a neutral oxygen atom gains two electrons, it forms the O2− ion.) The resulting Mg2+ and O2− then combine in a 1:1 ratio to give the ionic compound MgO ( magnesium oxide ). (Although the compound magnesium oxide contains charged species, it has no net charge, because it contains equal numbers of Mg2+ and O2− ions.) Likewise, oxygen reacts with calcium (just below magnesium in Group 2) to form CaO (calcium oxide). Oxygen reacts in a similar way with beryllium (Be), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra), the remaining elements in Group 2. The key point is that, because all the elements in a given group have the same number of valence electrons, they form similar compounds.

Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies The chemical elements can be classified in many different ways. The most fundamental division of the elements is into metals , which constitute the majority of the elements, and nonmetals . The typical physical properties of metals are lustrous appearance, malleability (the ability to be pounded into a thin sheet), ductility (the ability to be drawn into a wire), and efficient thermal and electrical conductivity . The most important chemical property of metals is the tendency to give up electrons to form positive ions. Copper (Cu), for example, is a typical metal. It is lustrous but easily tarnishes; it is an excellent conductor of electricity and is commonly used for electrical wires; and it is readily formed into products of various shapes, such as pipes for water systems. Copper is found in many ionic compounds in the form of either the Cu+ or the Cu2+ ion. The metallic elements are found on the left side and in the centre of the periodic table. The metals of Groups 1 and 2 are called the representative metals; those in the centre of the periodic table are called the transition metals .

The lanthanoids and actinoids shown below the periodic table are special classes of transition metals. Metals, nonmetals, and metalloids are represented in different regions of the periodic table. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Eyjafjallajökull volcano The nonmetals, which are relatively few in number, are found in the upper right-hand corner of the periodic table—except for hydrogen , the only nonmetallic member of Group 1. The physical properties characteristic of metals are absent in nonmetals. In chemical reactions with metals, nonmetals gain electrons to form negative ions. Nonmetallic elements also react with other nonmetals, in this case forming molecular compounds. Chlorine is a typical nonmetal. At ordinary temperatures, elemental chlorine contains Cl2 molecules and reacts with other nonmetals to form molecules such as HCl, CCl4, and PCl3. Chlorine reacts with metals to form ionic compounds containing Cl− ions. The division of the elements into metals and nonmetals is only approximate. A few elements along the dividing line exhibit both metallic and nonmetallic properties and are called metalloids , or semimetals.

Page 1 of 7 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY ORGANIC CHEMISTRY FIND OUT MORE The study of all compounds that contain carbon is called organic chemistry. Carbon atoms are unique. They can combine with each other to make molecules that contain hundreds, even thousands, of carbon atoms. There are more CARBON COMPOUNDS than compounds of all the other elements put together. CARBON TECHNOLOGY uses carbon compounds to make many modern materials, from the interiors of aircraft to medicines. CARBON IN ALL LIVING THINGS From butterfly wings to the petals of a flower, all living things are made of carbon compounds. All the processes that happen in living things – such as digestion, movement, and growth – are chemical reactions involving carbon compounds. It is the ability of carbon to make so many different compounds that results in the rich diversity of life on Earth. CARBON COMPOUNDS Many carbon compounds contain the same few elements, but in different quantities and arranged in different ways. The most important elements to join with carbon are hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Carbon atoms can form chains of just carbon and hydrogen, which are called hydrocarbons. They can also form rings of carbon, called aromatics.

Methane is a hydrocarbon. It contains one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. The prefix “meth-” always refers to compounds whose molecules contain only one carbon atom. Methane is a natural gas. It is used in domestic central heating. Butane gas is a slightly more complex hydrocarbon than methane. Butane contains four carbon atoms and ten hydrogen atoms. The prefix ‘but-’ always refers to compounds whose molecules contain four carbon atoms in a chain. A benzene molecule is made of a ring of six carbon atoms, each of which is bonded to a hydrogen atom. This gas is used to make dyes and pigments. Compounds whose molecules are made of carbon rings are called aromatics as they have distinctive smells. ALCOHOLS AND ESTERS A carbon compound called an ester gives an apple its distinctive smell. Esters are liquids with a sweet, fruity smell, and evaporate quickly. They are made when alcohol reacts with an acid. Alcohols and esters contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. CARBON TECHNOLOGY The carbon industry is one of the largest and most important industries because so many products contain organic (carbon) compounds.

Carbon technology is vital to the production of medicines, paints, synthetic fabrics, food flavourings, plastics, cosmetics, and glues. The raw materials that are the basis for these products come from coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Racing bikes are often made from carbon fibre because it is strong and light, and can be moulded into complex shapes. The carbon fibres are woven into a cloth which is then cut and layered in a mould. The moulded part is filled with a chemical called a resin and then baked in an oven to form the hard, tough carbon fibre material. New medicines are made to treat specific illnesses by combining organic (carbon) compounds in new ways. Some are similar in structure to compounds found naturally in our bodies or in plants. New medicines undergo a series of tests to ensure they do not have any poisonous effects. Paint pigments and the dyes that colour our clothes are mostly organic compounds. Pigments coat the surface of a material. Dyes bond with the molecule of the fabric they are colouring. The molecules of pigments and dyes often contain many rings of carbon atoms. All plastics are organic compounds, made from recycled plastic or from the products of coal, oil, and natural gas.

From flexible bags to hard chairs, plastics are light and cheap to make. Their molecules are made of long chains of carbon atoms called polymers. CARBON FIBRES Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is heated to 3,000°C (5,432°F) to create thin filaments of carbon fibre. This material is fireproof and five times lighter than steel, yet twice as strong. Carbon fibre has many uses, such as in lightweight sports equipment, car body panels, construction pipes, and on the wings and nose of space shuttles. FIND OUT MORE Organic Molecules: Carbs, Proteins, Lipids & Nucleic Acids Organic Molecules: Carbs, Proteins, Lipids & Nucleic Acids 1 Organic molecules are the chemicals of life, compounds composed of more than one type of element, that are found in, and produced by, living organisms. The feature that distinguishes an organic from inorganic molecule Article Summary: What substances are within the realm of organic chemistry? This article covers the main categories of naturally occurring organic macromolecules: carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids and lipids.

Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids & Nucleic Acids Lactose, a disaccharide made of glucose and galactose. SPO VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS is that organic molecules contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, whereas inorganic molecules do not. The four major classes of organic molecules include carbohydrates, proteins , lipids and nucleic acids .​ Carbohydrates The term carbohydrate is actually a descriptor of what these molecules are composed of; carbon hydrates, in a ratio of one carbon molecule to one water molecule (CH2O)n. The word saccharide is a handy synonym for carbohydrate, because it can be preceded with a prefix indicating the size of the molecule (mono-, di-, poly-): Monosaccharides: The simplest, single sugars. Examples: Glucose and fructose are monosaccharides. Disaccharides: Double sugars that are a combination of two monosaccharides. Example: Sucrose (table sugar) is made of glucose and fructose together. all organic compounds must contain the element Best Results From Wikipedia Yahoo Answers From Wikipedia Organic compound An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous , liquid , or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon .

For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbide s, carbonates , simple oxides of carbon and cyanides , as well as the allotropes of carbon such as diamond and graphite, are considered inorganic . The distinction between "organic" and "inorganic" carbon compounds, while "useful in organizing the vast subject of chemistry... is somewhat arbitrary". Organic chemistry is the science concerned with all aspects of organic compounds. Organic synthesis is the methodology of their preparation. History Vitalism The name "organic" is historical, dating back to the 1st century. For many centuries, Western alchemists believed in vitalism . This is the theory that certain compounds could only be synthesized from their classical element s â€” Earth, Water, Air and Fire â€” by action of a "life-force" (vis vitalis) possessed only by organisms. Vitalism taught that these "organic" compounds were fundamentally different from the "inorganic" compounds that could be obtained from the elements by chemical manipulation. Vitalism survived for a while even after the rise of modern atomic theory and the replacement of the Aristotelian elements by those we know today.

It first came under question in 1824, when Friedrich WÃ¶hler synthesized oxalic acid , a compound known to occur only in living organisms, from cyanogen . A more decisive experiment was WÃ¶hler's 1828 synthesis of urea from the inorganic salts potassium cyanate and ammonium sulfate . Urea had long been considered to be an "organic" compound as it was known to occur only in the urine of living organisms. WÃ¶hler's experiments were followed by many others, where increasingly complex "organic" substances were produced from "inorganic" ones without the involvement of any living organism. Modern classification Even after vitalism had been disproved, the distinction between "organic" and "inorganic" compounds has been retained through the present. The modern meaning of "organic compound" is any one of them that contains a significant amount of carbon - even though many of the "organic compounds" known today have no connection whatsoever with any substance found in living organisms. There is no "official" definition of an organic compound. Some text books define an organic compound as one containing one or more C-H bonds; others include C-C bonds in the definition.

Others state that if a molecule contains carbon it is organic. Even the broader definition of "carbon-containing molecules" requires the exclusion of carbon-containing alloys (including steel ), a relatively small number of carbon-containing compounds such as metal carbonates and carbonyls , simple oxides of carbon and cyanides , as well as the allotropes of carbon and simple carbon halides and sulfides, which are usually considered to be inorganic . The "C-H" definition excludes compounds which are historically and practically considered to be organic. Neither urea nor oxalic acid are organic by this definition, yet they were two key compounds in the vitalism debate. The IUPAC Blue Book on organic nomenclature specifically mentions urea and oxalic acid. Other compounds lacking C-H bonds that are also traditionally considered to be organic include benzenehexol , mesoxalic acid , and carbon tetrachloride . Mellitic acid , which contains no C-H bonds, is considered to be a possible organic substance in Martian soil. All do, however, contain C-C bonds.

The "C-H bond only" rule also leads to somewhat arbitrary divisions in sets of carbon-fluorine compounds, as for example Teflon is considered by this rule "inorganic" but Tefzel organic; similarly many Halons are considered inorganic while the rest are organic. For these and other reasons, most sources consider C-H compounds to be only a subset of "organic" compounds. To summarize: Most carbon-containing compounds are organic, and most compounds with a C-H bond are organic. Not all organic compounds necessarily contain C-H bonds (e.g. urea ). Classification 1832: Dobereiner produces furfural (a furan) by treating starch with sulfuric acid 1834: Runge obtains pyrrole ("fiery oil") by dry distillation of bones 1906: Friedlander synthesizes indigo , allowing synthetic chem Chemical compound A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element s that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reaction s. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure ; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together in a defined spatial arrangement by chemical bond s.

Chemical compounds can be molecular compounds held together by covalent bond s, salt s held together by ionic bond s, intermetallic compounds held together by metallic bond s, or complexes held together by coordinate covalent bond s. Pure chemical element s are not considered chemical compounds, even if they consist of molecules which contain only multiple atoms of a single element (such as H2, S8, etc.), which are called diatomic molecule s or polyatomic molecule s. Wider definitions There are exceptions to the definition above, and large amounts of the solid chemical matter familiar on Earth do not have simple formulas. Certain crystalline compounds are called " non-stoichiometric " because they vary in composition due to either the presence of foreign elements trapped within the crystal structure or a deficit or excess of the constituent elements. Such non-stoichiometric compounds form most of the crust and mantle of the Earth. Other compounds regarded as chemically identical may have varying amounts of heavy or light isotope s of the constituent elements, which will make the ratio of elements by mass vary slightly. Elementary concepts 1.

Elements in a compound are present in a definite proportion Example- 2 atoms of hydrogen + 1 atom of oxygen becomes 1 molecule of compound-water. 2. Compounds have a definite set of properties Elements of the compound do not retain their original properties. Example- Hydrogen(element{which is combustible and non-supporter of combustion}) + Oxygen(element{which is non-combustible and supporter of combustion}) becomes Water(compound{which is non-combustible and non-supporter of combustion}) 3. Elements in a compound cannot be separated by physical methods. Valency is the number of hydrogen atoms which can combine with one atom of the element forming a compound. Compounds compared to mixtures The physical and chemical properties of compounds are different from those of their constituent elements. This is one of the main criteria for distinguishing a compound from a mixture of elements or other substances because a mixture's properties are generally closely related to and dependent on the properties of its constituents. Another criterion for distinguishing a compound from a mixture is that the constituents of a mixture can usually be separated by simple, mechanical means such as filtering, evaporation, or use of a magnetic force, but the components of a compound can only be separated by a chemical reaction.

Conversely, mixtures can be created by mechanical means alone, but a compound can only be created (either from elements or from other compounds, or a combination of the two) by a chemical reaction. Some mixtures are so intimately combined that they have some properties similar to compounds and may easily be mistaken for compounds. One example is alloy s. Alloys are made mechanically, most commonly by heating the constituent metals to a liquid state, mixing them thoroughly, and then cooling the mixture quickly so that the constituents are trapped in the base metal. Other examples of compound-like mixtures include intermetallic compounds and solutions of alkali metals in a liquid form of ammonia. Formula Chemists describe compounds using formulas in various formats. For compounds that exist as molecules, the formula for the molecular unit is shown. For polymeric materials , such as mineral s and many metal oxide s, the empirical formula is normally given, e.g. NaCl for table salt . The elements in a chemical formula are normally listed in a specific order, called the Hill system . In this system, the carbon atoms (if there are any) are usually listed first, any hydrogen atoms are listed next, and all other elements follow in alphabetical order.

If the formula contains no carbon, then all of the elements, including hydrogen, are listed alphabetically. There are, however, several important exceptions to the normal rules. For ionic compounds, the positive ion is almost always listed first and the negative ion is listed second. For oxides, oxygen is usually listed last. Organic acids generally follow the normal rules with C and H coming first in the formula. For example, the formula for trifluoroacetic acid is usually written as C2HF3O2. More descriptive formulas can convey structural information, such as writing the formula for trifluoroacetic acid as CF3CO2H. On the other hand, the chemical formulas for most inorganic acids and bases are exceptions to the normal rules. They are written according to the rules for ionic compounds (positive first, negative second), but they also follow rules that emphasize their Arrhenius definitions. Specifically, the formula for most inorganic acids begins with hydrogen and the formula for most bases ends with the hydroxide ion (OH-). Formulas for inorganic compound s do not often co From Yahoo Answers Question:An organic compound contains carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur.

A sample of it with a mass of 1.078 g was burned in oxygen to give gaseous CO2, H2O, and SO2. These gases were passed through 450.3 mL of an acidified 0.0200 M KMnO4 solution, which caused the SO2 to be oxidized to SO42-. Only part of the available KMnO4 was reduced to Mn2+. Next, 45.03 mL of 0.0300 M SnCl2 was added to 45.03 a mL portion of this solution, which still contained unreduced KMnO4. There was more than enough added SnCl2 to cause all of the remaining MnO4- in the 45.03 mL portion to be reduced to Mn2+. The excess Sn2+ that still remained after the reaction was then titrated with 0.0100 M KMnO4, requiring 0.02235 L of the KMnO4 solution to reach the end point. Based upon all this data, the the percentage of sulfur in the original sample of the organic compound that had been burned is %.

the tolerance is +/-2% Answers:So here is how it goes =) First of all you convert everything to moles. Now let's start from the end to beginning. In the titration you used 0.000224 mol (0.0100 M * 0.02235 L) KMnO4. 2 mol KMnO4 oxidize 5 mol of SnCl2 (5 SnCl2 + 2 KMnO4 + 16 HCl --> 2 MnCl2 + 5 SnCl4 + 8 H2O + 2 KCl) so 0.000224 mol oxidize 0.000559 mol of SnCl2. You had 0.001351 (0.03 M * 0.04503 L) SnCl2 so when you added the SnCl2 solution you had this excess. If you extract this from the total moles of SnCl2 you had oxidized the rest (0.001351 mol - 0.000792 mol).

For this oxidation you need 2/5 mol (see stoichiometry above) KMnO4 (0.02 M) (= 0.000792 * 2 / 5) 0.000317 mol. So after the first addition of KMnO4 (not titration) you had an excess of 0.000317 mol. In total you added 0.009006 mol (0.02 M * 0.4503 L) so the reduced amount by SO2 (2KMnO4 + 5SO2 + 2H2O 2MnSO4 + 2KHSO4 + H2SO4) was 0.008689 mol (0.009006 mol - 0.000317 mol). 5 mol of SO2 reduce 2 mol of KMnO4 so 0.008689 mol KMnO4 were reduced by 0.021723 mol of SO2.

Each mole of SO2 contains one mol of S (Mr = 32.065) so in the begining you had 32.065 * 0.021723 mol = 0.696543 g of S The sample you used had mass of 1.078 g, so there was 100 * 0.696543 g (S) / 1.078 g (compound) = 64.6 %!!! =) Question:It is still a organic compound if there is an inorganic element stuck in there like this for an example?: C36H70MgO4 Thanks Any Help Appreciated Answers:that is Magnesium stearate. It is a salt. Organic compounds usually dont have ions They always include Carbon or Nitrogen, Oxygen, Hydrogen plus a few more. Question:Which compound contains a carbon that is a stereocenter? a. CHIClCH3 b. CH3CH2CH2CH3 c. CH2IBr d. All of the above 2)Choose the statement that is INCORRECT about biological systems. a.

Biological systems prefer to use one stereoisomer over another, if there are isomers. b. If there are two isomers that are chiral, nature prefers only one of them. c. If there are two isomers that are chiral, males prefer one and females prefer the other. d. Very few small organic molecules in life have isomers that are chiral. 3)Some medications are sold as racemic mixtures, even though one of the enantiomers cannot be used. This can be because a. the mixture is necessary to enhance the effect of the usable enantiomer. b. the form that cannot be used might be converted to the form that can be used. c. the medications all work in both of the forms; so, there is no reason to separate. d. the racemic mixture is sold because the medication builds up to a desired level in the blood faster than if the pure enantiomer were taken. 4)Which grouping is in the proper order of priority increasing from left to right? a. -H, -OH, -CH3, -NH2 b. -H, -CH3, -Cl, -I c. -H, -I, -Cl, -Br d.

-H, -Cl, -NH2, -CH3 Answers:Which compound contains a carbon that is a stereocenter? a. CHIClCH3 2)Choose the statement that is INCORRECT about biological systems. c. If there are two isomers that are chiral, males prefer one and females prefer the other. 3)Some medications are sold as racemic mixtures, even though one of the enantiomers cannot be used. This can be because b. the form that cannot be used might be converted to the form that can be used. 4)Which grouping is in the proper order of priority increasing from left to right? b. -H, -CH3, -Cl, -I You should double check number 3, but other than that the rest are correct. Be well. Question: Answers:Proteins Sugars Lipids Nucleic acids Three elements they all contain: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, nitrogen is found in proteins and nucleic acids as well Introduction to Biology - Molecules and Cells - Organic Molecules Introduction to Biology What makes a Molecule "Organic"? As the science of chemistry was developing, there was an understandable fascination with chemistry that was unique to living things.

As more and more was learned about the elements that could be found in living things, it was realized that carbon was a major component, found in any type of organism that was analyzed, and even in every compound that was extracted. Molecules with carbon in them were assumed to be associated with organisms, and so were called organic molecules. We know that carbon, with its ability to bond to four other atoms, can form very complex molecular structures, making it the perfect candidate for building such molecules around. But this is science, and no terms or ideas seem to last without some modification. There did seem to be carbon compounds in minerals that were not derived from living things, so carbon alone wasn't enough; organic molecules came to need both carbon and hydrogen. We have since found methane, CH4, and other such materials, in the dust of space and on other planets and moons, but the old definition hasn't been changed. It is now thought that when the Earth first formed, the oceans were full of the small organic molecules of space dust, forming primordial soup, from which truly living systems formed. More on organic molecules. Major Types of Organic Molecules The organic molecules found in living things fall into four major classes.

Each class of molecule has features that determine its use in living systems. The first class of molecules are called carbohydrates. The simplest type of these, monosaccharide simple sugars, have a basic formula: for every carbon atom, there are two hydrogens and one oxygen, or one water for each carbon. Carbo - hydrate. Glucose is a common carbohydrate that will show up again and again as we discuss cell chemistry: its formula is C6H12O6. Table sugar, sucrose, is two single sugars bound together: a disaccharide simple sugar. Sugars can be anything from a single sugar molecule up to several bound together. When organic molecules are bound together, a bonding site must be freed up on each participant. This happens by clipping a single hydrogen from one participant, and an oxygen-hydrogen piece (hydroxide) off of the other. Where each bit used to be become the new bond, and the two freed pieces stick together as H2O. This building process where water comes out is called dehydration synthesis, and is used whenever we build molecule from components.

When molecule chains need to be broken apart, such as happens in digestion, the opposite reaction happens: the bond breaks, and one spot gets a hydrogen while the other gets hydroxide. A water molecule breaks apart - in Latin, that's hydrolysis, and that's what this process is called. Sugars can be bound together in long chains, which may form branches and even networks: these huge carbohydrates are called starches. Both sugars and starches are commonly used as sources of energy in cells: sugars are broken apart for the bond energy, and starches are a way to store lots of sugars in a fairly inactive form. Large, stiff starches can also be used as structural molecules: cellulose is what hold most plants up. That "-ose" ending is a giveaway that something is a carbohydrate, although they don't all end that way. When the same type of molecule component is used over and over in a much bigger molecule, the bigger molecules are called polymers. Starches, proteins, and nucleic acids are all different types of polymers. There are other uses for carbohydrates in living systems, but energy and structure are by far the most common ones. The second class of organic molecules are called lipids.

Fats and oils are included in this class of molecules. These have a fairly simple structure, starting with the 3-carbon glycerol molecule. Each carbon picks up a bit called a fatty acid, which can be short or fairly long, and then it's a lipid molecule. A pair of terms that can applied to other types of molecules often shows up in descriptions of lipids: a saturated molecule has all of the atoms its carbons could possibly hold, and has only single bonds in the fatty acid chains; an unsaturated molecule has at least one double bond between carbons, and so could hold at least one more hydrogen. Not surprisingly, this alters the chemistry of the molecules. Lipid molecules are usually hydrophobic: they won't dissolve in water and tend to separate out from it (materials that will dissolve in water are hydrophilic). Vegetable oil is a lipid - what happens when you mix them? This makes them useful as water barriers, and they are found in cell membranes as well as such things as waxes and waterproofing oils.

Not mixing with water also reduces their chemistry, and lipid molecules can be a nice, nonreactive place to store extra energy: the lipids in fat are constructed for longterm energy storage. When energy is really needed, the fat molecules are broken apart and "fed" into the middle of the same process that gets energy from sugar molecules. Some lipid molecules can dissolve well enough in water to move around, but also can dissolve through other lipids like those in cell membranes; this makes lipids good signaling molecules. Included in this group are steroid hormones. Lipids also has other, varied uses, including insulation in organisms that need to hold onto heat in unusual conditions, like deep underwater. Lipids are also commonly a holding point for lipid-soluble toxins, which can accumulate there to dangerous levels. Many manufactured toxins, like pesticides, are lipid soluble: it helps get them into the target organisms, but gets them into others as well. Article on how pesticides may disrupt female reproductive function. The last two classes of molecules are huge polymers. Proteins are long chains of components called amino acids and have three to four levels of structure. The first level of structure, called primary structure, is just the order of amino acids in each chain.

At the secondary structure level, amino acids in a particular region connect to each other and produce local formations, like pleated sheets of coils. At the tertiary structure level, the entire molecule is pulled together into a particular three-dimensional shape, often through hydrogen bonds but sometimes through cross-connecting covalent bonds. Only some proteins have a quaternary structure, where the molecule has more than a single chain of amino acids, but again the overall three-dimensional structure is critical, because the function of proteins is connected to their shapes. When these shapes are changed, the functions may change or disappear; this can happen when other molecules attach to them, when the proportion of ions around them changes (such as in pH shifts), or when a change in temperature shakes or compresses the shape. The possible shapes that proteins can take is virtually infinite, so they have a broad array of possible functions. What follows is just a partial list, some of the major things that proteins do in living systems. Structure . Most cells have particular shapes, and those shapes are commonly held together by proteins that connect to the outer membrane and often to each other. Cells are often held together with protein-based structures.

Protein is an important component to structure in fungi, in animals in exoskeletons, and in things like tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Movement. A single cell moves, or swims, using a protein-based movement system. Animal muscle depends upon two proteins, actin and myosin, contracting cells. Membranes have proteins that help move things through the barrier. Communication. Cells often send signals to each other using various types of proteins. Many hormones are proteins, as well as pheromones (signals-by-scent) and alarmones (signals that alert other individuals). Protein neurotransmitters carry signals between nerve cells. Receptors may be at the target cell that will attach to the signal molecule, and there are receptors that pick up other things, such as the light receptors in visual systems. Antibodies are proteins made specifically to attach to "foreign" molecules (the foreign molecules are called antigens); once attached, the molecule changes to a shape that attaches to receptors on immune cells and activates them to attack whatever the antibody is attached to (in an autoimmune disease, a system makes antibodies to molecules on its own cells and calls attacks on them). Chemistry.

The reactions that happen in cells often need a boost to get going, and that boost is supplied by enzymes, most of which are proteins. Enzymes are catalysts, chemicals that activate and speed along reactions. They typically are named to give some indication of the reaction they aid, and commonly have the ending -ase on their names. Almost every bit of chemistry done in cells is aided by enzymes. How enzymes work. The last class of organic molecules are the nucleic acids. There are two varieties: ribonucleic acid, or RNA, and deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. These polymers are long chains of components called bases, of which there are only five types. RNA is a single-strand molecule; DNA is a spiral of two cross-connected strands. DNA carries information. Part of the DNA in a cell is genes, which code for protein molecules. Each type of receptor, or enzyme, or neurotransmitter, has a stretch of DNA in which its sequence of amino acids is coded. The code-to-primary-structure ratio is three-to-one: three bases (called a codon) per amino acid. The codes proteins can vary, and code variations for a single type of protein are called alleles.

Different alleles can produce proteins that have the exact same amino acid sequence, have different sequences but no difference in activity, have different sequences that produce different levels of activity (including no activity at all), or produce a new type of activity. These will be returned to in the chapter on genetics. DNA is the code from which living things are made, since the DNA codes for proteins and the proteins are the foundation of cellular chemistry. Carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids are made by enzyme-driven systems. A huge proportion of the DNA on many chromosomes is not used for protein production. This non-coding DNA is made up of many different types of DNA stretches: some are critical to interacting with the proteins that hold chromosomes together; some are codes that aren't used, either old sequences or dangerously mutated sequences or foreign sequences (invaders from disease organisms); some are non-gene codes that work to get genes processed; some produce functional stretches of RNA (see below); some are short stretches that exists to propagate themselves, a kind of molecular parasite; and a lot of what's there, no one knows what the origin or possible purpose is. All of this used to be called junk DNA, but that term is going away as functions are discovered for these bits.

The other nucleic acid form, RNA, is used in getting DNA code to protein sequence. RNA moves the code from where it is stored to where it is executed. RNA is a critical component of the cell parts that takes the codes and makes the protein. Small RNA molecules do all sorts of things in and around the genes; some are ribozymes, having similar activity to enzymes.

Question: Which element is contained in the molecules of organic compounds?
Answer: Carbon