1) An organic compound is composed of carbon and other elements like hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. 2) Organic compounds can be nonpolar, polar, or both. They often contain functional groups like hydroxyl groups. 3) Macromolecules in living things are made of monomers that polymerize through dehydration reactions and can be broken down through hydrolysis reactions.

1. ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Biology Notes

2. I. What is an Organic Compound?
1. Composed of 2 or more CARBON atoms
2. Common elements that form organic
molecules:
Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen
(N), Phosphorus (P), and Sulfur (S)

3. 3. May be HYDROPHOBIC (nonpolar)

4. Or HYDROPHILLIC (polar)

5. Or both

6. 4. May contain Functional Groups:
reactive part of a molecule that
undergoes
predictable reactions
OH
(Hydroxyl group,
a type of alcohol)

7. 5. Ex. Macromolecules: antifreeze, acetone,
diamonds

8. 6. Ex. Fossil fuels: coal, oil, natural gas
 Energy rich hydrocarbons that are primary source of energy
on Earth

9. II. Organic Macromolecules
Structure of Macromolecules in Living Things
1. Monomer Units:
A molecule that is a single subunit or
“building block” that will bond with other
molecules to form larger structures.

10. 1. Monomer Units:
A molecule that is a single subunit or
“building block” that will bond with other
molecules to form larger structures.
Ex: = ring = simple
structure sugar

11. 2. Polymers:
Molecules built from 2 or more
monomer units
 Can be formed by identical or similar monomer
units

12. 3. MACROMOLECULES:
Very large carbon
structures made
up of repeating
polymers
100’s of carbon molecules
linked together. Ex: Carbs,
Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic
Acids

13. III. The Building and Breaking Apart of
Macromolecules
 Organic macromolecules may differ, but they
are ALL assembled and disassembled in the
same way

14. 1. Dehydration reactions:
 LINKS monomer units TOGETHER to make
larger molecules
 LOSS or PRODUCTION of a WATER
molecule AS A RESULT
Draw
this

15. Dehydration Reaction

16. 2. Hydrolysis Reaction: “to break”
 Reverse of dehydration
 ADDITION of WATER to break a larger
molecule apart into smaller monomer units
Big Polymer Small Monomers

17. Hydrolysis Reaction