THE CHEMISTRY OF CARBON

CARBOHYDRATES

• Made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
• Living things use carbohydrates as their main source of energy
• Plants and some animals also use carbs for structural purposes
• Example: spaghetti

LIPIDS

• Not soluble in water
• Can be used to store energy
• Important parts I biological membranes and waterproof coverings
• Ex: olive oil

NUCLEIC ACIDS

• Contains hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus
• Store and transmit hereditary or generic information
• Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
• Ex: sugar deoxyribose

PROTEINS

• Contain nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen
• Ex: meats
• Control the rate of reactions and regulate cell processes
• Form bone and muscle
• Transports substances into or out of the cell and fight disease