The Organic Geochemistry Laboratory at UIC
  • Home
    • OGL News
  • People
    • Fabien Kenig >
      • Publications -FK
    • Joey Pasterski
    • Muna Zabarmawi
    • Alumni >
      • Luoth Chou
  • Research
    • Publications
    • Awards
    • OGL in the news
  • Photos
    • Paleokarsts and sediment fills
    • Coring Douglas Lake (Michigan)
    • Antarctica 2002: CORING THE LAKES
    • Antarctica 2005: VIDA 1
    • Antarctica 2010: VIDA 2
    • Deep under for gold and biomarkers
    • Abu Dhabi sabkha and lagoon
    • Laguna Mendosa, Guatemala
    • Yellowstone Microbial films
    • Geological features at UIC
    • Geobiology Course 2015 - Luoth Chou
    • Just clouds and haloes
    • Flying over Greenland
    • Field trip to Missouri 2017
  • Facility
  • AN ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY PRIMER
    • A brief history of Organic Geochemistry
    • From bio- to geo-molecules
    • Diagenesis: Stereoisomerism
  • Contacts

From biomolecules to geomolecules

Early diagenesis


Upon death of the primary producers and heterotrophic organisms begin a transformation (diagenesis) that will lead to the destruction of their most labile compounds, and for the recalcitrant ones, the progressive disappearance of chemical functions such as hydroxyl  groups, ketones, and unsaturations. The classic example of such a process is the loss the alcohol group and unsaturation of the steroid cholesterol (a biomolecule), resulting in the hydrocarbon skeleton cholestane (a geomolecule).
Picture
Similarly, the ciliate derived tetrahymanol loses its functions to form the hydrocarbon skeleton gammacerane, fig. 2).  
Picture
Diagenesis may also induce the full saturation of the Chlorobiaceae pigment isorenieratene to isorenieratane. It can also induce cyclization of isorenieratene, which also can lose C7 or C8 moeities to form C32 and C33 diaryl isoprenoids. 
Picture

Further Reading

  • Sinninghe Damsté J.S., Kenig F., Koopmans M.P., Koster J., Schouten S., Hayes J.M. and J.W. de Leeuw (1995) Evidence for gammacerane as an indicator of water column stratification. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 59, 9, 1895-1900. 
  • Koopmans M. P., Koster J., van Kaam-Peters H.M.E., Kenig F., Schouten S., Hartgers W.A., de Leeuw J.W. and J.S. Sinninghe Damsté (1996) Diagenetic and catagenetic products of isorenieratene: Molecular indicators for photic zone anoxia. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta. 60, 22, 4467-4496. 
  • Kenig F., Sinninghe Damsté J. S., Frewin N.., Hayes J.M. and J.W. de Leeuw (1995) Molecular indicator for palaeoenvironmental change in a Messinian evaporitic sequence (Vena del Gesso, Italy): II. Stratigraphic variations in abundancies and 13C contents of free and sulphur bound carbon skeletons in a single marl bed. Organic Geochemistry 23, 6, 485-526. 
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.