ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Organic materials are good source of energy within cells. They

also help in building new tissue and in synthesizing new
physiologically important chemicals such as hormones and
enzymes.
In all living organisms, four types of organic compounds are
essential
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
 Four Types of ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

CARBOHYDRATES
Are substances containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, where the
proportion of hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms is two to one.
They are familiar to us as dietary sugars and starches
Hydrate of carbon
Most abundant organic compound found in nature
Generally known as Sugars which is derived from the Greek word saccharide.
If excessive to our bodys needs, are converted to glycogen and fat present in
adipose tissue.
 Lipophilic Vs. Hydrophilic
Lipophilicity Hydrophilic
A hydrophile is a molecule or
Lipophilicity (from Greek "fat"
other molecular entity that is attracted to,
and "friendly"), refers to the ability
and tends to be dissolved, by water.
of a chemical compound to dissolve
in fats,oils, lipids, and non-polar A hydrophilic molecule or portion of a
solvents such as hexane or toluene. These molecule is one whose interactions with
non-polar solvents are themselves water and other polar substances are
lipophilic (translated as "fat-loving" or "fat- morethermodynamically favorable than
liking"[1][2])the axiom that like dissolves their interactions with oil or
like generally holds true. Thus lipophilic other hydrophobic solvents.[2][3] They are
substances tend to dissolve in other typically charge-polarized and capable
lipophilic substances, of hydrogen bonding. This makes these
while hydrophilic (water-loving) molecules soluble not only in water but also
substances tend to dissolve in water and in other polar solvents.
other hydrophilic substances.
 Classifications of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are classified based on the number of individual simple sugar units. These
are:
A. MONOSACCHARIDE
Simple sugar containing a single unit
Typically has a skeleton of three (triose), four (tetrose), five (pentose),six (hexose) or seven
(heptose) carbon atoms
Is also known as known as dextrose or blood sugar, an indispensable component of blood
cells in animals.
Galactose on the other hand, is part of dissacharide lactose, commonly known as milk
sugar.
Fructose is the sweetest sugar. In fact it is ten time sweeter than lactose.
Fructose and Galactose are converted to glucose before they can be utilized by the cells.
 Ribose and Deoxyribose

Are also examples of monosaccharides

They contain five carbon atoms
Like other monosaccharides, they also serve as the chief source
of energy for various cellular activities within the cells.
They are the sugar components of RNA and DNA respectively.
 B. Disaccharide

Is made up of two simple sugar molecules covalently bonded and with

chemical formula of C
The most common of these compounds are sucrose, lactose and maltose
o Sucrose
Is two simple sugars, glucose and fructose.
Commonly known as table sugar that has been extracted from such plant as
sugar cane.
This can be utilized by the cells through the process called Hydrolysis.
 Lactose

or milk sugar is another form of disaccharides which is composed

of glucose and galactose molecules.
Like Sucrose it is also broken down in the digestive tract into
monosaccharides then absorbed in the blood.
Unfortunately, there are infants who are not able to breakdown
lactose in their digestive tract.
This inability if persists, may cause infant or a child exceedingly
undernourished and can cause severe diarrhea.
 Maltose

Or Malt sugar is composed of two glucose molecules.

The main source of this disaccharide are fruit juices and grains.
It is also used as the raw material for beer manufacturing.
Through hydrolysis, the molecules of glucose are liberated then
fermented to yield alcohol and carbon dioxide, the active
ingredients of beer.
 B. Polysaccharide
Is made up of more than two simple sugar
molecules which are bonded covalently through
dehydration synthesis and form long chains or
branches of carbon atoms. Starch,Glycogen,
Cellulose,and Chitin are common examples of
polysaccharides.
 Starch

is abundant in complex plants. It is a storage

carbohydrate made up of glucose units.
It can be found on potato tubers, carrots, corn and
some other roots and stems.
In some animals, starch can be easily digested because
of an enzyme in these animals that can break bond
holding glucose molecule.
 Cellulose

Is an insoluble carbohydrate that is made of tough fibrous material that

holds together the plant structure.
Compared to starch where it can be easily hydrolysed and can be broken
down to glucose molecules. Cellulose however is fibrous and water-
insoluble; thus human digestive tract is not capable of digesting cellulose.
Nevertheless, cellulose helps produce soft fecal material, thus avoiding the
chances of having constipation, haemorrhoids and cancer of the rectum.
It also helps to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream.
 Glycogen

Is the stored carbohydrate in animals and fungi.

Like Starch it is also made up of glucose units, therefore a
source of reserve units when needed.
These glucose units are bonded together in a highly
branched structure in which carbohydrate is stored in such
animal tissues as liver muscle.
 Chitin
Another Polysaccharide is found on the outer coverings
of animals such as insects and crustaceans.
Is the main structural material in external skeleton,
biting mouth parts, and other specialized structures
such as eye lenses and copulatory organs.
In most fungi, chitin gives a degree of firmness to cell
walls
 2. Proteins

The most common organic compound that contains nitrogen as well as carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen.
Among its functions are support, structure, movement, transport, communication and
disease defense.
Enzymes are catalysts that speed up chemical reactions.
Amino Acids, the building blocks of protein are the primary structural units of
protein,composed of amino group and carboxyl group on the other.
Aside from Amino Acids that form proteins there are still more than 150 of other amino
acids which can be found in nature mostly in fungi and higher plants.
 R group in Amino Acids

In solution it is the nature of the amino acid R-groups that dictate structure-
function relationships of peptides and proteins. The hydrophobic amino acids will
generally be encountered in the interior of proteins shielded from direct contact
with water.
Furthermore, the nature of the R group dictates various physical properties of
amino acids (and also of proteins they are made of), such as state, solubility,
mechanical strength etc. by influencing the way bonding as well as folding of
peptide chains take place during the formation of proteins.
Thus the nature of the R group influences structure and properties of amino acids
and also, function of proteins in a big way.
 Lipids

Are fatty compounds made up of Carbon-containing compounds

that are hydrophobic insoluble in water, but are soluble in organic
solvent such as benzene, ether and chloroform.
Compared with carbohydrates, lipid molecules have fewer oxygen
atoms relative to the number of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
Lipids like carbohydrates can be used as chemical messengers such
as hormones.
 Lipids are Classified as:

A. Simple Lipids
Are esters of fatty acids with various types of alcohol.
They are distinguished into fats and oils.
Triglycerides, neutral fats.
These are found in adipose tissue, butterfat,lard,suet,fish
oils,olive oil,corn oil and etc.
 Triglycerides
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. When
you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need to use
right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in
your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy
between meals. If you regularly eat more calories than you
burn, particularly "easy" calories like carbohydrates and fats,
you may have high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia)
 Waxes
These are found in head oil of sperm whale, cerumen, carnauba oil and
lanolin of industrial and medicinal importance.
Waxes are lipids ,which molecules are composed of long fatty acid chain
combined with long chain alcohols.
These long chains make waxes highly water proof and serve as
protective layers both animals and plants.
In some plants, waxes are secreted to the outer surface of cell walls
That help prevent water loss and impart resistance to disease causing
organisms.
 b. Compound Lipids
Are lipids which contain an inorganic or organic group in addition to fatty acids and
glycerol.
Phospholipids (phosphatides)
-Are found chiefly in animal tissues.
-Are considered as universally important substances in living things because they are
major components of membrane cells
-without these cell contents like organelles would not be separated from the outside
environment.
- Are formed from glycerol , fatty acids and a phosphate group and nitrogen-containing
alcohol.
 Phospolipids include:

Lecithins
generic term to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in
animal and plant tissues, which are amphiphilic - they attract both water (and so
are hydrophilic) and fatty substances (lipophilic), and are used for smoothing food
textures, dissolving powders (emulsifiers), homogenizing liquid mixtures, and repelling
sticking materials
Are found in cell membranes, brain, egg yolk, and organ meats.
Helps to emulsify fats by separating large portions into smaller units, allowing the fat to
mix to other materials.
It is the reason why lecithins are added to various types of chocolate bars
These are also lipotropic agent and important in fat metabolism and transport.
 Cephalins
Any of a group of phospholipids havi
ng hemostatic properties and found
especially in the white matter of the
brain and spinal cord.
Hemostatic- Hemostasis or
haemostasis is a process which
causes bleeding to stop, meaning to
keep blood within a damaged blood
vessel (the opposite of hemostasisis
hemorrhage).
 3. Plasmalogens

Found in brain, heart,and muscle a phosphatide

containing an aliphatic aldehyde
The aliphatic aldehydes are a homologous series of
organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen,
where the aldehydefunctional group, -C=O.H , is
contained within the molecule. The general formula is
CnH2n+2.CHO.
 4. Lipositols

Found in brain , heart , kidneys and plant tissues; a phosphatidyl

inositol for cell transport processes
The form of phosphatidylinositol comprising the isomer muco-
inositol acts as a sensory receptor in the taste function of the
sensory system. In this context it is often referred to as PtdIns, but
that does not imply any molecular difference from
phosphatidylinositols comprising the myo- conformers of inositol.
 5. Sphingomyelins

Found in the nervous tissue, brain, and red

blood cells; a sphingosine containing
phosphatide which yields fatty acids, choline,
sphingosine, phosphoric acid but no glycerol.
These are sources of phosphoric acid in body
tissue.
 Glycolipids
1.) Cerebrosides which are found in the myeline
sheaths of nerves, brain and other tissues.Yields on the
hydrolysis of fatty acids, sphingosine,galactose(or
glucose), but not fatty acids These include kerasin and
phrenosin.
Kerasin-
Pheronisin-
 Gangliosides
Found in brain,nerve tissue and other selected tissues, notably spleen.
Contain a ceramide linked to hexose (glucose or galactose), neuraminic acid,
sphingosine and fatty acids.
A. Sulfolipids- which are found in the white matter of the brain, liver, and testicle also
on plant chloroplast , composed of sulfur-containing glycolipid a sulfate present in
ester linkage and galactose
B. Proteolipids- These are found in the brain and nerve tisuue composed of complexes
of protein and lipids but having solubility properties of lipids.
 Terpenoids
Are found in essential oils, resin acids,rubber, plant pigmentssuch as carotenes and
lycopenes, camphor and vitamin E and K are also related to terpentenes.
 Steroids
Are lipids which do not dissolve in water.
These includes:
1. Cholesterol-
2. Ergosterol-
3. 7- Dehydrocholesterol-
4. Androgens and Estrogens
5. Corticosteroids
 Cholesterol
Cholesterol is both our friend and foe - at normal
levels, it is an essential substance for the body's
normal functioning, but if levels in the blood get
too high, it becomes a silent danger that puts us
at risk of a heart attack.
 Ergosterol
is a sterol found in cell membranes of
fungi and protozoa, serving many of the same functions
that cholesterol serves in animal cells. Because many
fungi and protozoa cannot survive without ergosterol,
the enzymes that create it have become important
targets for drug discovery. Ergosterol is a provitamin
form of vitamin D2; exposure to ultraviolet(UV) light
causes a chemical reaction that produces vitamin D2
 7- Dehydrocholesterol
is a zoosterol that functions in the serum as
acholesterol precursor, and is converted to vitamin D3 in
the skin, therefore functioning as provitamin-D3. The presence
of this compound in human skin enables humans to
manufacture vitamin D3 from ultraviolet rays in the sun light,
via an intermediate isomer pre-vitamin D3. It is also found in
the milk of several mammalian species.[1] In insects it is a
precursor for the hormone ecdysone, required for reaching
adulthood.[2] It was discovered by Nobel-laureate organic
chemist Adolf Windaus.
 Androgens and Estrogens
Androgens and estrogens are hormones. Estrogens are produced by the
body in greater amounts in females. They are necessary for normal
sexual development of the female and for regulation of the menstrual
cycle during the childbearing years. Androgens are produced by the
body in greater amounts in males.
 Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids, often known as steroids, are an anti-inflammatory
medicine prescribed for a wide range of conditions.
They're a man-made version of hormones normally produced by the adrenal
glands (two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys).
Corticosteroids are available in different forms, including:
tablets (oral steroids)
injections which can be into blood vessels, joints or muscles
inhalers such as mouth or nasal sprays
lotions, gels or creams (topical steroids)
Corticosteroids are mainly used to reduce inflammation and suppress the
immune system.
 C. Derived Lipids

Are lipids obtained on hydrolysis of simple and complex

lipids.
These lipids contains glycerol and other alcohols.
This class of lipids include steroid hormones, ketone bodies,
hydrocarbons, fatty acids, fatty alcohols mono and
diglycerides, terpenes and carotenoids.
These are sometimes present in the products of
metabolism.
 Fatty Acids

Occur in plant and animal foods; also exhibit in complex

forms with other substances and obtained from
hydrolysis of fats; usually contain an even number of
carbon atoms and are straight chain derivatives.
Classification of fatty acids are based on the length of the
carbon chain( short,medium or long) the number of
double bonds (unsaturated, mono-or polyunsaturated.
 4.Nucleic Acids

Are compounds that contain nitrogen and phosphorus in

addition to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Two types of Nucleic acids:
1. DNA(Deoxyribonucleic Acid)
2. RNA(Ribonucleic Acid)
 DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

Is Referred to as molecular core of life since it contains units of

heredity, called genes.
It is self replicating which means that it can make copies of itself.
This is critical for growth, since organisms grow through cell
divisions.
Adenine (A), (G) guanine, cytosine (C), and Thymine (T).
 RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

Molecule is composed of single strand of nucleotides, each of

which consists of a phosphate group, the sugar ribose, and
with nitrogen containing bases adenine (A), guanine (G),
cytosine (C), and uracil (U).
It also transfer hereditary instructions from the nucleus to
the cytoplasm. RNA is involved in protein synthesis.
 COVALENT BONDING

Covalent bonding occurs when pairs of electrons are shared by atoms. Atoms
will covalently bond with other atoms in order to gain more stability, which is
gained by forming a full electron shell. By sharing their outer most (valence)
electrons, atoms can fill up their outer electron shell and gain stability. Non
metals will readily form covalent bonds with other non metals in order to
obtain stability, and can form anywhere between one to three covalent
bonds with other non metals depending on how many valence electrons they
posses. Although it is said that atoms share electrons when they form
covalent bonds, they do not usually share the electrons equally.
 INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Inorganic Compounds present in living things are water,
acids, bases and salts:
1. Water- anorganic molecule which demonstrates
unique properties that makeit one of the most
important compounds for living things.
 Polar Compound
A polar compound is a molecule with a geometric
arrangement of one side carrying a positive charge
and the other side a negative
charge.Water,ammonia,sulfur
dioxide and hydrogen sulfide are examples of
polar compounds.
Acids,Bases and Salts
 Salt
In chemistry, a salt is an ionic compound that results from the neutralization
reaction of an acid and a base. Salts are composed of related numbers of cations
(positively charged ions) and anions (negative ions) so that the product is electrically
neutral (without a net charge).