organic compounds Flashcards
what are organic compounds?
compounds made up of carbon and hydrogen
why are carbon atoms important?
they are very stable
what makes carbon atoms very stable?
they can form unto 4 covalent bonds
what elements are carbohydrates made up of?
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
in all compounds, what is the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen atoms?
2:1 (for example H20)
what are the 3 main functions of carbohydrates? give an example for each
storing energy (e.g. glycogen in muscles), a source of energy (e.g. glucose) and structural use (e.g. cellulose in plant cell walls)
what are carbohydrates?
types of monosaccharides, disaccharides or polysaccharides
what elements do lipids contain?
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
what are the 3 main functions of lipids? give an example for each
storing energy (lipids are stored in fats), a source of energy (they have a high energy yield) and insulation (thermal inundation under skin)
what elements make up proteins?
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulphur
what are the 3 main functions of proteins? give an example for each
for cell growth and repairs, structural use (e.g. keratin in hair) and they act as carrier molecules (e.g in cell surface membranes)
what is nucleic acid made up of?
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus
what are nucleic acids?
a monomer of nucleotides, so DNA and RNA
what are the 2 main functions of nucleic acids?
carry the genetic code of organisms and control all cellular processes (e.g. protein synthesis)
