Elements in Organic

Compounds

From yesterday: What is an organic compound?

• Naturally occurring (animal or plant-produced or synthetic) substances containing mainly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen.

• The compounds in living things are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids

Elements of Life• All living things are made up of just a few

elements. • For example, all living things have a great deal

of water. Oxygen and hydrogen make water. So they are important elements.

• Other important elements include carbon and nitrogen.

Oxygen• Oxygen is necessary for respiration. You

will find this element in the lungs, since about 20% of the air you breathe is oxygen.

Carbon• Carbon is found in every organic molecule

in the body.

• Carbon is ingested in food that is eaten and breathed in as a component of air. It is found in the lungs as a waste product of respiration, carbon dioxide.

• All life is carbon-based.

Hydrogen

• Hydrogen is a component of the water molecules in the body, as well as most other compounds.

Nitrogen• Nitrogen is a component of proteins,

nucleic acids, and other organic compounds.

• Nitrogen gas is found in the lungs, since most of the air you breathe consists of this element.

Phosphorus• Phosphorus is found in the nucleus of

every cell.

• Phosphorus is part of nucleic acids, energy compounds, and phosphate buffers. The element is incorporated into the bones, combines with other elements including iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium.

Sulfur

• Sulfur is a component of many amino acids and proteins.

Can you complete the tree map?

Use your foldable and complete in your journal.

How did you do?