BIOL 1201 Chapter : BIO Chapter 4
Document Summary
Carbon enters the biosphere through the action of plants. Plants use solar energy to transform atmospheric co2 into molecules of life. Carbon is unparalleled in its ability to form molecules that are large, complex, and varied. Carbon accounts for the enormous variety of biological molecules. 4. 1: organic chemistry is the study of organic compounds. Organic chemistry- branch of chemistry that specializes in the study of carbon compounds. Most organic compounds contain hydrogen atoms in addition to carbon atoms. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus are quite uniform from one organism to another. Vitalism- the belief in a life force outside the jurisdiction of physical and chemical laws, provided the foundation for the new discipline of organic chemistry. Vitalism soon crumbled when hermann kolbe made acetic acid from inorganic substances. Organic molecules and the origin of life on earth. From these results, miller concluded that complex organic molecules could arise spontaneously under conditions.
