Unit 1 Chemistry of Life

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space.

Atom

The fundamental unit of matter.

Protons

Positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

Neutrons

Electrically neutral particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

Electrons

Negatively charged particles located in the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus.

Element

A chemical that cannot be further broken down by the methods of chemistry.

Covalent bond

A bond formed when a pair of electrons is shared between two atoms.

Nonpolar covalent bond

A bond formed when electrons are shared equally between two atoms.

Polar covalent bond

A bond formed when electrons are shared unequally between two atoms.

Ionic bond

A chemical bond in which two ions with opposite charges associate with each other.

Hydrophobic

Molecules that tend to associate with each other in water to minimize contact with water.

Hydrophilic

Molecules that dissolve readily in water.

Cohesion

The tendency of water molecules to stick to one another.

Adhesion

The tendency of water to stick to materials other than water.

Surface Tension

A measure of the difficulty of breaking the surface of a liquid due to increased hydrogen bonding.

High Specific Heat

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction that builds polymers by removing water when monomers join.

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction that breaks covalent bonds by adding water to the bond.

Carbohydrates

Organic molecules made up of monosaccharides; functions include energy storage and structural roles.

Lipids

Nonpolar molecules made of fatty acids and glycerol; functions include long-term energy storage and membrane formation.

Proteins

Polymers made of amino acids; functions include structure, enzymes, transport, and defense.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers consisting of nucleotides; store and transfer genetic information.

Denaturation

The loss of a protein's shape and function due to heat, pH change, or chemicals.

Nucleic Acid Directionality

The orientation of the sugar-phosphate backbone in nucleic acids affecting their structure and function.

Hydrogen bond

A weak attraction between the - and + regions of two separate molecules.

Lattice network

A structure formed by many water molecules due to hydrogen bonding.