Chapter 1-7 Biology Energy and Cephalopods: Vocabulary Flashcards

A vocabulary-focused set of flashcards covering cephalopods, macromolecules, metabolism, energy transfer, cellular respiration, and basic biochemistry concepts from the notes.

Cephalopod

A class of mollusks meaning 'head-foot'; includes octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and nautilus; many are highly intelligent and some are venomous.

Nautilus

Ancient cephalopod with a chambered external shell; buoyancy controlled by gas-filled chambers.

Cuttlefish bone

Shell remnant inside cuttlefish; not a bone but a shell-like structure used for buoyancy and sometimes decoration.

Australian giant cuttlefish

Largest cuttlefish species; about three feet long.

Macromolecule

Large organic molecule; four main types in biology: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Organic

Carbon-containing compounds; in biology, typically include hydrocarbons and compounds with C–H bonds.

Carbohydrates

Macromolecules providing energy; include sugars and starches; 4 kcal per gram; monomers are monosaccharides (e.g., glucose); polymers are polysaccharides.

Glucose

Monosaccharide with formula C6H12O6; primary energy source; substrate for glycolysis.

Lipids

Hydrophobic macromolecules (fats, oils) with 9 kcal/g; long-term energy storage and components of membranes.

Proteins

Macromolecules made of amino acids; perform countless functions including enzymes, structure, transport, signaling, and muscle contraction.

Nucleic acids

DNA and RNA; store and transmit genetic information and aid in protein synthesis; polymers made of nucleotides.

Nucleotides

Monomers of nucleic acids consisting of a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base.

Monosaccharide

Simple sugar; the basic unit of carbohydrates (e.g., glucose).

Polysaccharide

Polymer of carbohydrates formed by many monosaccharides (e.g., starch, glycogen, cellulose).

Glycolysis

Universal cytoplasmic pathway converting glucose to pyruvate; occurs in the cytoplasm of all cells and yields limited ATP.

Aerobic respiration

Energy production with oxygen; high ATP yield; uses mitochondria in eukaryotes; end products are CO2 and H2O.

Anaerobic respiration

Energy production without oxygen; lower ATP yield; includes fermentation.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate; energy currency of the cell; composed of adenine, ribose, and three phosphate groups; energy released by breaking phosphate bonds.

Mitochondria

Organelle that generates most ATP in eukaryotic cells; contains its own DNA and ribosomes; site of cellular respiration; evolved by endosymbiosis.

Endosymbiotic theory

Idea that mitochondria (and chloroplasts) originated as free-living prokaryotes that were taken into a host cell and became organelles.

Chloroplasts

Photosynthetic organelles in plants and algae; also thought to have arisen via endosymbiosis; site of photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis

Process by which photoautotrophs convert light energy into chemical energy (glucose).

Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic cells

Prokaryotes lack membrane-bound organelles like mitochondria; eukaryotes have them; mitochondria/chloroplasts exemplify endosymbiosis.

Glucose (revisited)

A six-carbon sugar; central starting point for energy pathways like glycolysis.

Monomer

A single building block that can join to form polymers (e.g., amino acids, monosaccharides, nucleotides).

Polymer

A large molecule formed by linking monomers (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides). Lipids do not have true polymers.

Amino acid

Monomer of proteins; 20 standard amino acids join by peptide bonds to form polypeptides/proteins.

Nucleotide

Monomer of nucleic acids; consists of a sugar, phosphate, and a nitrogenous base.

Dehydration synthesis

Bond formation between monomers with removal of a water molecule (H2O).

Hydrolysis

Bond cleavage by adding water; monomers are released.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Genetic material; double-stranded; stores hereditary information.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Nucleic acid involved in translating DNA into proteins; typically ribose sugar and uses uracil instead of thymine.

MyPlate

US dietary guidelines emphasizing portions from protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fats, and dairy.

Empty calories

Calories from foods that provide little nutrient value; high sugar or fat content (e.g., many energy drinks).

Glycogen

Animal carbohydrate storage polymer in liver and muscles; highly branched; mobilized by hydrolysis to maintain blood glucose.

Starch

Plant carbohydrate storage polymer.

First law of thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it is conserved in transformations.

Second law of thermodynamics

Not all energy transformations are fully usable; some energy becomes unusable (often as heat); entropy increases.

Entropy

Disorder; the natural tendency toward increasing disorder in a system or the universe.

Potential energy

Stored energy due to position or state; ready to be converted to kinetic energy.

Kinetic energy

Energy of motion; produced when potential/other energy is released.