Anatomy & Physiology › Section B · The chemical level › Topic B.5
Organic compounds
Four families of carbon-based molecules build and run the body: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. Each is assembled from small units by the same water-releasing reaction, and each family's shape explains its job, from storing fuel to carrying the genetic code.
In this topic
- Carbon: the backbone of life
- Carbohydrates: sugars
- Polysaccharides and the roles of carbohydrates
- Worked example: building a disaccharide
- Lipids: triglycerides
- Phospholipids, steroids and prostaglandins
- Proteins: amino acids and peptide bonds
- Protein shape and enzymes
- Nucleotides, DNA, RNA and ATP
- Worked example: counting and pairing
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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