Carbon Compounds

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Organic chemistry Noun

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[or-gan-ik kem-iss-tree]

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Organic chemistry

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The branch of chemistry that deals with the study of carbon compounds, which are fundamental to living organisms.

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Example: Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-based compounds. This image shows methane (CH₄), the simplest organic molecule, with one central carbon atom.

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Macromolecule Noun

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[mak-roh-mol-uh-kyool]

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Macromolecule

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A very large organic molecule, such as a protein or nucleic acid, composed of many smaller repeating subunits.

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Example: A large macromolecule, like starch, is a polymer made of many smaller, repeating monomer units, like glucose, linked together.

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Polymerization Noun

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[pol-im-er-ih-zay-shun]

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Polymerization

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A chemical process in which small molecular units, called monomers, are joined together to form a large molecule, or polymer.

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Example: This diagram shows how small molecules called monomers (like amino acids) link together in a process to form a long chain called a polymer (like a protein).

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Monomer Noun

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[mon-uh-mer]

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Monomer

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A small, single chemical unit that serves as the basic building block for a larger molecule known as a polymer.

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Example: This image shows that monomers are individual small units, like single beads, that can link together to form a long chain called a polymer.

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Polymer Noun

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[pol-ih-mer]

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Polymer

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A large molecule, or macromolecule, composed of many repeating smaller units, called monomers, linked together in a chain.

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Example: This diagram shows how small molecules called monomers (amino acids) link together in a chain to form a large polymer molecule (a protein).

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Carbohydrate Noun

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[kar-boh-hy-drayt]

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Carbohydrate

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A macromolecule made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, serving as a primary source of energy for organisms.

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Example: This image shows the molecular structure of glucose, a simple carbohydrate, made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, which are key components of carbon compounds.

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Monosaccharide Noun

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[mon-oh-sak-uh-rahyd]

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Monosaccharide

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A single sugar molecule, representing the simplest form of a carbohydrate and a monomer for larger sugars.

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Example: This diagram shows the chemical ring structure of glucose, a simple sugar that is a primary example of a monosaccharide, or single sugar unit.

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Polysaccharide Noun

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[pol-ee-sak-uh-rahyd]

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Polysaccharide

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A large carbohydrate molecule formed by linking many monosaccharide units, used for energy storage or structural support.

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Example: This image shows how cellulose, a polysaccharide, is made of long chains of sugar molecules and forms the strong fibers in a plant's cell wall.

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Glucose Noun

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[gloo-kohs]

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Glucose

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A simple sugar, or monosaccharide, that is a crucial source of immediate energy for cellular activities in most organisms.

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Example: This diagram shows the linear structure of a glucose molecule (C6H12O6), highlighting the backbone of carbon atoms and identifying the component atoms (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen).

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Starch Noun

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[starch]

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Starch

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A polysaccharide composed of glucose units, used by plants as a long-term storage form for energy.

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Example: This image shows that starch, a carbon compound, is found in common foods like potatoes and can be extracted as a white powder.