Introduction to Cellular Energy, pH, and Carbohydrates

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing cellular energy conversion, pH dynamics and buffers, organic vs. inorganic principles, carbohydrate classifications, and historical medical case studies from the lecture.

Glucose

A type of simple sugar with the chemical formula $\text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6$ that acts as the primary molecule of potential energy obtained from food.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The primary molecule of kinetic energy in the human body, composed of adenine, ribose sugar, and three phosphate groups, responsible for muscle contraction and nerve signal conduction.

Glycogen

A branched polysaccharide stored in the liver, skeletal muscle, and fat, formed by linking individual glucose molecules together with covalent bonds.

Fatty Liver Disease

A condition caused by excessive consumption of glucose, leading the liver to store an excessive buildup of glycogen that inhibits normal liver function.

Phosphate Group

A chemical group consisting of one phosphorus atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms, abbreviated as $\text{PO}_4$.

ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate)

The molecule created when ATP loses one phosphate group in a decomposition reaction, releasing energy to produce physical movement in the body.

Ribose

A five-carbon sugar component that forms part of the structural unit of an ATP molecule.

Solution

A liquid mixture composed of water combined with dissolved substances such as minerals, sugars, or salts.

pH Scale

A logarithmic scale ranging from $0$ to $14$ that measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a water-based solution.

Neutral Solution

A solution with a pH of $7$ where the concentration of hydrogen ions equal the concentration of hydroxide ions.

Acid

A solution with a pH less than $7$ that contains a higher concentration of hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions.

Base

A solution with a pH greater than $7$ that contains a higher concentration of hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions.

Acidosis

A medical condition resulting from blood pH dropping below its normal healthy set point of approximately $7.2$.

Alkalosis

A medical condition resulting from blood pH rising above its normal healthy set point of approximately $7.2$.

Buffers

Molecules present in bodily fluids that resist pH changes by accepting or releasing excess hydrogen or hydroxide ions.

Ulcer

Physical damage and tissue erosion in the stomach that occurs when the protective layer of mucus wears away, exposing raw tissue to stomach acid.

Duodenum

The first portion of the small intestine where digestive enzymes and bile enter to neutralize acidic stomach contents.

Inorganic Molecules

Molecules that lack carbon-hydrogen covalent bonds, such as oxygen gas, water, and carbon dioxide.

Organic Chemistry

The branch of chemistry focused on the study of carbon and hydrogen compounds and their derivatives.

Friedrich Uller

The German scientist credited as the father of organic chemistry who disproved the vital force theory in $1828$ by synthesizing urea in a laboratory.

Monosaccharide

A single sugar molecule, such as glucose, fructose, or galactose, that serves as a fundamental building block for complex carbohydrates.

Disaccharide

A sugar molecule created by joining two monosaccharides together, such as sucrose, lactose, or maltose.

Polysaccharide

A complex carbohydrate made up of many monosaccharide units linked together, such as glycogen, starch, or cellulose.

Sucrose

A disaccharide commonly known as table sugar, formed by the chemical bonding of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule.

Maltose

A disaccharide found in beer and malt flavoring, formed by the bonding of two individual glucose molecules.

Ignaz Semmelweis

The Hungarian physician in Vienna who demonstrated in the late $1840\text{s}$ that mandatory handwashing in chlorinated water dramatically reduced fatal childbed fever in obstetrics wards.