Q: Where are the 4 bonds of carbon in a simplified drawing of a steroid?
Answer: Many drawings of a steroid neglect the hydrogens (H's) that are present within the molecule.
Here is a molecule of "gonane", the simplest of steroids. In this image, all H's are shown and the 4 fused carbon rings are numbered.
In many instances, the H's are "hidden" (ie. not drawn). This is similar to carbon which appears at the corners of structural drawings of molecules. If you count the bonds around any one carbon, such as from any corner position, and you arrive at a number less than 4, then you know there is at least one H. All carbon atoms must have 4 bonds associated with them....if you count fewer than 4, the rest are "invisible" hydrogens...
Try it with this molecule of cholesterol; happy counting!
Here is a molecule of "gonane", the simplest of steroids. In this image, all H's are shown and the 4 fused carbon rings are numbered.
In many instances, the H's are "hidden" (ie. not drawn). This is similar to carbon which appears at the corners of structural drawings of molecules. If you count the bonds around any one carbon, such as from any corner position, and you arrive at a number less than 4, then you know there is at least one H. All carbon atoms must have 4 bonds associated with them....if you count fewer than 4, the rest are "invisible" hydrogens...
Try it with this molecule of cholesterol; happy counting!