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Sonia Ventura

Ashley Stockton

Period 69/1/2008

Carbon S.A.

a) Organic molecules have carbon atoms. Large organic molecules are

macromolecules that consist of hundreds or thousand of atoms; most macromolecules arepolymers. The complexity of these molecules is due to the carbon molecule. Four of

carbons six electrons are available to form bonds with other atoms to complete its

valence shell. The carbon atom will bond four times by: a single covalent, double

covalent or triple covalent bond. Complex molecules can form by stringing carbon atomstogether in long chains or by connecting carbons together to form rings. Also contributing

to the carbon skeleton are the different lengths, shapes, and bonding sites for atoms of

other elements; for example functional groups. In addition isomers alter the organic

molecules. Three types of isomers are structural isomers, geometric isomers, andenantiomers. The varying structures result in different properties. Organic molecules can

be organized into classes: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

b) Carbon Dioxide is a colorless, odorless non-flammable gas which has increased in

the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels along with other things. The burning of

fossil fuels to run factories and cars has risen greatly over the years as we become moredependent on these fossil fuels. Deforestation also causes large amounts of Carbon

Dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. When trees are cut down the stored Carbon

Dioxide is released into the atmosphere and the tree is no longer present to keep recyclingthe Carbon Dioxide through photosynthesis. Green house gasses such as Carbon Dioxide

dont allow the heat to be reflected back into space. Because of this the heat is reflectedback downwards causing the earth to heat up. Therefore increasing the green houseeffect.

c) Category I would be a lipid, a substance that is insoluble in water, but is soluble innonpolar substances. This particular lipid is a phospholipid. The structure of

phospholipids consists of two fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule. Fatty acids are

hydrocarbons with a carboxyl group at one end of the chain. Fatty acids vary in structure

by the number of carbons and by the placement of single and double covalent bondsbetween the carbons. A saturated fatty acid has a single covalent bond between each pair

of carbon atoms, and each carbon has two hydrogens bonded to it. Unless its the last

carbon, it will have three hydrogens attached to the carbon atom. An unsaturated fattyacid has one or more double bonds, formed by the removal of hydrogen atoms from the

carbon skeleton. The fatty acids will have a kink in its shape wherever a double bond

occurs. Also, to complete the phospholipids structure, it has a chemical group that isattached to the phosphate group. The two fatty acid tails of the phospholipids are

nonpolar are and hydrophobic and the phosphate head is polar and hydrophilic.

Phospholipids are often found oriented in sandwich like formations with the hydrophilic

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heads oriented toward the outside and facing an aqueous environment. Such formations

of phospholipids provide the structural foundation of cell membranes.