Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

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Chapter 4

• Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

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• Organic
• -contains carbon
• Versatility
• -due to bonding capacity
• Hydrocarbons

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Figure 4.2 The shapes of three simple organic
molecules
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Figure 4.4 Variations in carbon skeletons
Hydrocarbon molecule containing only C and H
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Figure 4.2x Shapes of Molecules
Ethane
Methane
Ethene
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Isomers

• Molecules with the same molecular formula,
• but different structures
• a) structural
• vary in covalent arrangement
• b) geometric
• vary in arrangement around a double bond
• c) optical (enantiomers)
• vary in spatial arrangement around an
  asymmetric
• carbon

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Figure 4.7 The pharmacological importance of
enantiomers
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Functional groups

• Regions of organic molecules most
• commonly involved in chemical reactions
• 1) hydroxyl - -OH alcohols
• 2) carbonyl - -CO aldehydes
• H
• -CO ketones
• 3) carboxyl - -COOH carboxylic
• acids
• 4) amino - -NH2 amines
• 5) sulfhydryl - -SH thiols
• 6) phosphate - -PO4 organic
• phosphates

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Table 4.1 Functional Groups of Organic Compounds