The Elements of Life

1
The Elements of Life

• The four most common elements in living things
  are
• -Carbon
• -Hydrogen
• -Oxygen
• -Nitrogen

C H O N
2
Organic CompoundsAnything that contains
carbon. Exception CO2

• Inorganic Compounds
• Compounds that do not contain carbon.

3
Organic Compounds

• Four major groups
• Carbohydrates (think sugar and starch)
• Lipids (think fat and oils)
• Proteins (meats, peanuts, etc)
• Nucleic Acids (genetic material)

4
POLYMERIZATION

• When small compounds link together to form large
  compounds.
• MONO-MERS form POLY-MERS
• Large polymers are called MACROMOLECULES
• Ex. Starch, proteins, plastics