AP Biology Unit 1 Review: Chemistry of Life

Vocabulary flashcards based on AP Biology Unit 1 lecture notes covering the chemistry of life, water properties, macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids), and their components.

Hydrogen Bond

The attraction created between the slightly positive $H$ of one water molecule and the slightly negative $O$ of a different water molecule.

Polar covalent bond

A type of chemical bond where electrons are shared unequally between atoms.

Cohesion

The attraction between water molecules resulting from hydrogen bonding.

Dehydration synthesis

A chemical reaction in which water is released during the formation of a polymer, such as the polysaccharide glycogen.

Hydrolysis

A process where a glycosidic linkage is broken by the addition of water, digesting a disaccharide into two monosaccharides.

Monosaccharide

The monomer of a carbohydrate; glucose is a primary example produced from two $G3P$s during the Calvin Cycle.

Polysaccharide

The polymer of a carbohydrate, examples of which include cellulose, starch, and glycogen.

Cellulose

A polysaccharide composed of glucose monomers that makes up the cell walls of plants.

Starch

A polysaccharide composed of glucose monomers used by plants for energy storage.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide used for the storage of glucose in animal tissues.

Triglycerides

A type of lipid composed of one glycerol molecule and three fatty acids.

Phospholipids

Lipids consisting of a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail, which make up the plasma membrane.

Sterols

A group of lipids including cholesterol (animal), ergosterol (fungal), and stigmasterol (plant).

Estrogens

Small hydrophobic lipid hormones that promote cell division and passively diffuse across the plasma membrane.

Amino acid

The monomer of a protein, consisting of an amine group, a carboxyl group, and a variable R group.

R group

The variable group in an amino acid that determines its specific chemical properties, such as being polar, nonpolar, or charged.

Primary structure

The linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide, determined by the DNA sequence of the exons in a gene.

Tertiary structure

The three-dimensional folding of a protein resulting from interactions between R groups, such as disulfide bridges and ionic bonds.

Disulfide bridge

A covalent bond formed between the sulfhydryl groups of cysteine amino acids that contributes to protein tertiary structure.

Nucleotide

The monomer of a nucleic acid, composed of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

$$\beta\text{-2-Deoxyribose}$$

The 5-carbon sugar found specifically in the nucleotides of DNA.

$$\beta\text{-Ribose}$$

The 5-carbon sugar found specifically in the nucleotides of RNA.

CHONP

The mnemonic for the elements Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus, which are found in nucleic acids.

Quaternary structure

The protein structure level formed by the interaction between multiple polypeptide chains.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A single-celled yeast organism used to study metabolic pathways and gene mutations in amino acid synthesis.