Four Organic Compounds

Carbohydrates

• molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
• referred to as sugars
• C6H12O6

Lipids

• molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
• lipids include steroids, waxes, and fat
• the enzyme lipase breaks down fats into falty acids and glycerol in the human digestive system

Protein

• proteins are composed of amino acidswhich contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms
• amino acids also contain sulfur phosphorous, iron and copper

Nucleic Acids

• large molecules
• composed of smaller units called nucleotides
• live organisms have 2 important nucleic acids DNA or RNA