Homeostasis, Water, and Biological Molecules Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to homeostasis, water properties, pH, buffers, organic/inorganic compounds, and carbohydrates from the lecture transcript.

Homeostasis

The ability of the body to keep its internal environment stable even when the outside environment changes.

Water % of mass

60%

Water Polarity

The characteristic of water where electrons are shared unequally between oxygen and hydrogen, giving oxygen a slightly negative charge ($\delta^{-}$) and hydrogen a slightly positive charge ($\delta^{+}$).

Hydrogen Bond

A special chemical bond that pulls polar molecules together. They alter how molecules behave

Cohesion

The property of water molecules sticking to each other. Creating surface tension

Solid ice being less dense than water

Reason on why bodies of water dont freeze from bottom to top and inside have a insulated top layer

Lubricant

H2O molecules cohere pressure in joints

Adhesion

The property of water sticking to other polar substances or surfaces.

Capillary Action

The movement of water upward through tiny spaces or tubes, enabled by both cohesion and adhesion.

Examples of capillary action

Water moving up plant stems and roots

Specific Heat Capacity

The amount of energy needed to change the temperature of a substance.

Hydrophilic

Describing a substance that is attracted to water and dissolves in water.

Hydrophobic

Describing a substance that does not mix with water.

pH Scale

A scale that shows how acidic or basic a solution is.

Acidic Solution

A solution with a pH less than $7$, containing more $H^{+}$ than $OH^{-}$.

Basic Solution

A solution with a pH greater than $7$, containing more $OH^{-}$ than $H^{+}$.

Buffers

Substances that absorb excess $H^{+}$ or $OH^{-}$ to help keep pH stable and prevent large changes in pH.

Organic Compounds

Compounds that usually contain carbon bonded to hydrogen and are mostly held together by covalent bonds.

Inorganic Compounds

Compounds that generally do not contain C-H bonds and can contain ionic or covalent bonds.

CHOPNS

The six main elements in living things: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, and Sulfur.

Monomer

A small building block molecule that joins with others to form a polymer.

Polymer

A large molecule made by joining many monomers together.

Carbohydrates

Major biological molecules made mainly of C, H, and O with the empirical formula $CH_2O$ that serve as the main/quick source of energy for the body.

Monosaccharide

A single sugar unit molecule, such as glucose, fructose, or galactose.

Isomers

Molecules with the same chemical formula but different structures or shapes.

Disaccharide

A molecule formed by bonding two monosaccharides together.

Sucrose

A disaccharide composed of glucose bonded to fructose.

Maltose

A disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules bonded together.

Lactose

A disaccharide composed of glucose bonded to galactose.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction that joins molecules together to build polymers by removing a water molecule ($H_2O$).

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction that uses water ($H_2O$) to break a bond between molecules.

Polysaccharide

A complex carbohydrate made of many monosaccharides bonded together.

Starch

A polysaccharide produced by plants, made of many glucose molecules, used by plants to store energy.

Glycogen

A highly branched polysaccharide produced by animals, made of glucose molecules, stored mainly in the liver and muscles as an energy reserve.

Cellulose / Fibre

A major component of plant cell walls made of long chains of glucose that pass through the human digestive system largely undigested.