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Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life Importance of Carbon-organic chemistry – branch of chem that specializes in the study of C compounds-organic coupounds = contain C (and H)-major elements of life: SPONCH-carbon can for complex and diverse molecules Diversity of Carbon1. It has 4 valence electrons (tetravalence)2. So it can form up to 4 covalent bonds (most freq bonding partners are H, O, N)3. Bonds can be single, double, or triple covalent4. Carbon can form large molecules-there are 4 classes of macromolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids5. Molecules can be chains, rings, or branched6. Forms isomers (molecules w the same molecular formula but with different arrangements) -different structures à different properties/functions -structural isomer = diff covalent arrangement -cis-trans isomer = diff spatial arrangement -enantiomers = mirror images -critical in drug manufacturing-ex: thalidomide: the good enantiomer reduces morning sickness while the bad enantiomer causes birth defects. And the good converts to bad in the patients body-effective vs. ineffective enantiomers: S-ibuprofen works for pain/inflammation, R-ibuprofen does not. R-albuterol works for asthma, S-albuterol does not Functional GroupsBehavior of organic molecules depends on functional groups-most common functional groups:hydroxyl: -OH, part of alcoholscarbonyl: -CO, part of keytones and aldehydescarboxyl: -COOH, part of organic acidsamino: -NH2, part of aminessulfydryl: -SH, part of thiolsphosphate: -OPO32- or –OPO3H2, part of organic phosphatesmethyl: -CH3, part of methylated compounds
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