Unit 1: Chemistry of Life (copy)

Isotope

Atoms that have the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons.

Compound

A substance consisting of two or more elements held together by chemical bonds.

Ionic bond

A bond formed when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, creating ions.

Covalent bond

A bond formed when electrons are shared between atoms.

Hydrogen bond

A weak chemical bond that forms when a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to one atom is attracted to another atom.

Cohesion

The tendency of water molecules to stick together due to hydrogen bonding.

Adhesion

The tendency of water molecules to stick to other substances.

pH scale

A logarithmic scale that measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution from 1 to 14.

Organic molecule

Molecules that contain carbon.

Monomer

An individual building block of a polymer.

Polysaccharide

A carbohydrate made up of many repeated units of monosaccharides.

Glycosidic linkage

The bond formed when two monosaccharides are joined together.

Peptide bond

The bond formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another amino acid.

Hydrophobic

A term describing molecules that do not interact well with water.

Hydrophilic

A term describing molecules that interact well with water.

Triglyceride

A type of lipid made of a glycerol backbone and three fatty acid chains.

Phospholipid

A lipid containing two fatty acid tails and a phosphate head, making it amphipathic.

Nucleotide

The basic unit of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

DNA

Contains the hereditary blueprints of all life.

RNA

Essential for protein synthesis.