Biochemistry and Biophysics Week 1 Notes - Lectures 1C & 1D Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the notes.

Covalent bond

A strong chemical bond formed by sharing electrons between atoms; has a specific length and geometry.

Single bond

A covalent bond formed by sharing one pair of electrons; allows rotation around the bond.

Double bond

A covalent bond formed by sharing two pairs of electrons; shorter than a single bond and restricts rotation.

Bond rotation

Rotation around a single covalent bond, enabling conformational flexibility.

Ångström

A unit of length equal to 1 x 10^-10 meters, commonly used to measure bond lengths.

Space-filling model

A molecular model that shows the apparent size of atoms and the space a molecule occupies.

Conformation

The three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule that can change by rotation about single bonds.

Carboxyl group

Functional group –COOH; ionized form –COO−; acidic group present in many biomolecules.

Amine group

Functional group –NH2; basic; common in amino acids; can accept a proton.

Hydrophobic

Water-fearing; nonpolar regions that tend to avoid contact with water.

Hydrophilic

Water-loving; polar or charged regions that interact well with water.

Polar

Molecule with partial positive and negative charges due to unequal electron sharing; can form hydrogen bonds.

Non-polar

Molecule or region lacking significant charge separation; tends to be hydrophobic.

Substrate

A molecule that binds to a biological macromolecule (e.g., enzyme) to undergo a chemical reaction.

Ionic bond

Attraction between oppositely charged groups; nondirectional.

Hydrogen bond

A bond where a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a donor atom (often N, O, or F) is attracted to an acceptor atom; directional and specific in length.

Hydrophobic interaction

Interaction that drives nonpolar regions together to maximize hydrogen bonding of surrounding water.

van der Waals interactions

Weak attractions between nonpolar surfaces due to synchronized transient dipoles.

Hydrogen

Element symbol H; typically forms one covalent bond in many biological molecules.

Oxygen

Element symbol O; typically forms two covalent bonds.

Nitrogen

Element symbol N; commonly forms three covalent bonds; can form four when charged.

Carbon

Element symbol C; tetravalent; forms four covalent bonds; backbone of organic molecules.

Phosphorus

Element symbol P; typically forms up to five bonds; essential in nucleic acids.

Sulfur

Element symbol S; typical valence of 2; found in specific amino acids and can form disulfide bonds.

Structure-function relationship

The concept that the structure of a macromolecule determines its function.

Macromolecule

A large biological polymer such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, or lipids.

Conformational flexibility

The ability of a macromolecule to adopt multiple shapes due to rotation about single bonds.