Biochemistry and Water Properties

Flashcards focusing on key vocabulary terms and concepts related to biochemistry and the properties of water.

Biochemistry

The study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms.

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak bonds between molecules resulting from the attraction between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom.

Polar Covalent Bonds

A type of chemical bond where a pair of electrons is unequally shared between two atoms.

Cohesion

The tendency of molecules of the same substance to stick together.

Adhesion

The tendency of molecules of different substances to stick together.

Solvent

A substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution.

Metabolism

The chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life.

Xylem

The tissue in plants that transports water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant.

Surface Tension

The property of a liquid that allows it to resist an external force due to cohesive forces between its molecules.

Capillary Action

The ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without external forces, such as gravity.

Hydrophobic

Substances that do not mix well with water.

Hydrophilic

Substances that are attracted to water and can dissolve in it.

Buoyancy

The upward force that a fluid exerts on an object, causing it to float.

Viscosity

A measure of a fluid's resistance to flow.

Thermal Conductivity

The ability of a material to conduct heat.

Specific Heat Capacity

The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a given quantity of a substance by one degree.

Apoplast Pathway

The route taken by water within the plant cells walls.

Hydrophilic Substances

Charged substances that mix and dissolve in water.

Metabolic Reactions

Biochemical processes that convert one or more substances into different products in living organisms.

Extraterrestrial Life

Life that may exist beyond Earth, often speculated to depend on the presence of liquid water.

Goldilocks Zone

The habitable zone around a star where conditions are just right for liquid water to exist.