Organic Molecules

• hydrocarbons (e.g., lipids)-chains of carbon atoms with hydrogens attached; in life, these chains are long (usually >10 C) and have 1 oxygen atom (fatty acids), but these can break down to shorter chains through biological or geological processes
• carbohydrates (sugars, starches)-carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, e.g.,
  • glucose (a simple sugar): C₆H₁₂O₆:
    (drawing provided in lecture)
  • starch is just a very long chain of sugar molecules and is called polysaccaride
• amino acids-building blocks of protein; C, H, N, and O; usually but not always amine group (NH₃), e.g. phenylalanine:
  (drawing provided in lecture)
• nucleotides-building blocks of DNA, RNA and related molecules; C, O, N, always as ring compounds; e.g., adenine:
  (drawing provided in lecture)
• polymers: complex molecules made up of simple parts: starch, DNA, proteins