Home > Biology > Organic Molecules vs Inorganic Molecules

How can you tell whether the chemical formula for a compound represents a protein or a carbohydrate?

Answer 1

if it contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen only in the ratio of 1:2:1, then it is a carbohydrate. If it contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, then it might be a protein.

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Each amino acid consists of four groups: COOH, NH2, H, and a variable group denoted by the symbol R, which can be any of the following: H, CH3, CH2SH, and many more. When two amino acids are joined, a water molecule is eliminated from the formula. Since proteins can consist of hundreds or even thousands of amino acids, their formulas are extremely complex.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Daniel Allen

A compound's classification as a protein or carbohydrate is determined by its structure and arrangement of atoms within the molecule, as well as its functional groups. Proteins are made up of amino acids, whereas carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in particular ratios.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.