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Chapter 4: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life (Carbon (Organic…
Chapter 4: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
Carbon
Living organisms made up mostly of carbon.
Photosynthetic organisms transform CO2 into carbon-based life molecules.
Large, complex, and varied.
Organic Chemistry
Compounds containing carbon are said to be organic.
Chemists learned to make organic compounds in the 1800s.
Artificial synthesis erupted in 1828 by Friedrick Wohler when inorganic salt experiment made urea.
Redefined as the study of carbon compounds.
Stanley Miller Experiment
Happened in 1953, brought abiotic synthesis of organic compounds into evolution context.
Complex organic molecules could arise spontaneously.
Closed system that mimicked conditions on Earth.
Resulted in him finding variety of organic molecules.
Formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide. amino acids, etc.
Diverse Molecules
Can bond with four other atoms.
Usually single or double bonds.
Forms large and complex molecules.
Angles in the corners of an imaginary tetahedron.
Molecular Diversity
Hydrocarbons
Consist only of carbon and hydrogen.
Release large amount of energy.
Car gasoline and tails of fats both provide energy.
Mostly hydrophobic compounds.
Isomers
Same atoms, elements, different structures and properties.
Structural Isomers
Differ in covalent arrangements.
Increases as carbon skeletons increase in size.
May differ in double bonds.
Cis-trans Isomers
Covalent bonds same atoms, differ in spatial arrangements.
Inflexibility of double bonds.
Single bonds allow atoms to rotate freely.
Same atom on same side: cis isomer. Different atom on same side: trans isomer.
Trans fats good example.
Enantiomers
Mirror images of each other.
Differ in shape due to asymmetric carbon.
Carbon that is attached to four different atoms
Left-handed and right-handed.
Ibuprofen and albuterol examples, not equally effective.
Chemical Groups
Give molecule unique properties.
Similar structure, different chemical groups.
Produce contrasting features.
Some indirectly involved in chemical reactions.
Functional Groups
Directly involved in chemical reactions.
Hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amino, sulfhydryl, phosphate, and methyl.
First six can be chemically reactive.
Methyl group not reactive.
All except sulfhydryl hydrophilic and increase solubility.
ATP
Adenosine Triphosphate, made of three phosphate groups.
Can lose one phosphate from reaction with water.
Becomes Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP.
Releases energy to be used by the cell.
