Food - Introduction

This lecture is mainly about food. At the same time, it's about organic chemistry. Did you get apprehensive when you saw the words organic chemistry? If so, this would indicate you are fearful of things that sound difficult. This could keep you from learning as effectively as you might. Learning about food seems easy, because it's something familiar. Learning about organic chemistry seems difficult, because it's new and therefore somewhat scary. So, relax and let's learn about food. When we're done, you'll also know something about organic chemistry. They are really one and the same thing. Food is carbohydrates, fats and proteins and these are some of the topics studied in organic chemistry.

Organic compounds include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. They are used as energy sources, structural materials, in metabolic processes, and as carriers of hereditary information.

Carbon is a unique element that makes organic compounds possible. Carbon can form four covalent bonds with other atoms. This is because it has only four electrons in its outer shell. As you remember from the last lecture, it, like other elements, would like to have eight electrons in its outer shell.

One carbon atom can bond to another with either a single, double, or triple covalent bond. This means that two carbon atoms can share either one, two, or three electrons with each other. This bonding results in the formation of either straight chains, or of rings of carbon atoms.

Carbon can also combine with other atoms such as hydrogen. Four hydrogen atoms can covalently bond to carbon. The resulting molecule is called methane.

This animation (Audio - Important) describes the structure of methane.

REVIEW: Carbon usually forms how many bonds with other atoms?
Answer 4