Organic Compounds

Carbon atoms can bond to other carbon atoms. Organic compounds are compounds which have a skeleton of carbon atoms covalently bonded to other carbon atoms and atoms or groups of atoms of other elements covalently bonded to the carbon atoms.In living organisms these are usually atoms or groups of atoms of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur.All chemical reactions that take place in living organisms are collectively called metabolism. Anabolic reactions are syntheses that build new molecules such as photosynthesis, protein synthesis, and DNA synthesis.Catabolic reactions break down molecules.Examples are digestion and respiration.