Types of Carbon Based-Compounds
Carbon is one of the most abundant elements oin Earth. It plays a very important role in the formation and maintenance of all lifeforms, from viruses to human beings. Carbon atoms form bonds easily, thus creating huge molecules with complex functions. Carbohydrates, fats, nucleic acids and proteins are the main types of carbon-based compounds. Organic chemistry is the study of carbon and its compounds.
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Carbohydrates
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In addition to carbon, carbohydrates also contain hydrogen and oxygen atoms. In living organisms, carbohydrates are the most abundant of all organic compounds.
Carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, are a major source of metabolic energy for herbivores and human beings. Plants and other chlorophyll-containing living organisms, such as some algae and bacteria, can synthesize carbohydrates through photosynthesis. In addition to their nutritional role, carbohydrates are also an important structural material in cells and tissues.
Fats
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Fats are a general term used to refer to a wide group of carbon-based compounds that are insoluble in water. Animals store lipids and other fats in their tissues as an energy resource. Fats are also important in the absorption of some vitamins, such as A, D, E and K. These carbon-based compounds insulate the body's organs, helping to maintaining body temperature, and play a key role in the formation of cell membranes. Some fats, such as lipids, have a 75-85 percent carbon content.
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Nucleic Acids
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Nucleic acids are organic molecules containing phosphorus, in addition to carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. DNA and RNA are nucleic acids related to protein formation and transmission of hereditary features; these compounds are often found in cells' nuclei. Johann Friedrich Miescher was the first to isolate DNA in the late 19th century while studying white blood cells. Only afterwards, in the 1920s, were nucleic acids related to chromosomes, which are gene-carrying units found in the nuclei of complex cells.
Proteins
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Proteins are the most complex of all carbon-based compounds. Each protein molecule is made of many small units, called amino acids, which are linked together in a chain. Some proteins have a structural function in the constitution of cells and tissue; others are responsible for driving most chemical reactions within the cell. These proteins are called enzymes. The venom of poisonous snakes is an example of a highly toxic protein.
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very nice
