The Chemistry of Life

Flashcards covering key concepts from The Chemistry of Life lecture, including elements, atoms, bonding, properties of water, pH, and organic molecules.

Matter

Anything that takes up space and has mass, consisting of one or more elements organized into atoms and molecules.

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down by chemical means into other substances.

Elements of Life

The six main elements composing living things: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulfur.

Atom

The smallest piece of an element that retains the characteristics of the element.

Subatomic Particles

The three particles that compose an atom: protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Atomic Nucleus

The center of an atom where protons and neutrons are located.

Proton

A subatomic particle located in the atomic nucleus, possessing a positive (+) charge and a mass of 1.

Neutron

A subatomic particle located in the atomic nucleus, possessing no charge (neutral) and a mass of 1.

Electron

A subatomic particle surrounding the atomic nucleus, extremely small in mass (~0) and possessing a negative (-) charge.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in each atom of a specific element.

Mass Number

The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

Isotope

Different forms of the same element that vary in the number of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses.

Atomic Weight

The average mass of all isotopes of an element.

Molecule

A composite of two or more atoms linked together by chemical bonds.

Energy Shells (Orbitals)

Areas at various distances from the atom's nucleus that contain the atom’s electrons; the outermost shell is important for bonding.

Vacancies (in outer shell)

Unfilled spots in an atom's outer energy shell, making the atom less stable and more likely to bond.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed when atoms share electrons.

Double Covalent Bond

A type of covalent bond where atoms share four electrons.

Electronegativity

A measure of an atom’s ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

A type of covalent bond that forms when atoms have similar electronegativities, resulting in equal sharing of electrons.

Polar Covalent Bond

A type of covalent bond that forms when atoms have different electronegativities, leading to unequal sharing of electrons and partial charges on the atoms.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak electrical attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen atom of one molecule and a slightly negative atom (often oxygen or nitrogen) of a neighboring molecule.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond formed when one atom completely pulls an electron away from another, creating oppositely charged ions that attract each other.

Cohesion (Water)

The tendency of water molecules to stick to one another due to hydrogen bonding.

Adhesion (Water)

The property of water molecules forming hydrogen bonds with other types of molecules.

Solvent

A substance (like water) that dissolves other substances.

Hydrophilic

'Water-loving' substances that dissolve in water, typically polar solutes and ions.

Hydrophobic

'Water-fearing' substances that do not dissolve in water, typically molecules with nonpolar covalent bonds.

pH Scale

A scale that indicates the concentration of H+ ions in solutions, determining acidity or basicity.

Acidic Solution

A solution with a low pH and a high H+ concentration.

Basic Solution

A solution with a high pH and a low H+ concentration (or higher OH- concentration than H+).

Buffer Solution

A solution that helps maintain a constant pH by absorbing or releasing H+ ions.

Organic Molecule

A molecule that contains both carbon and hydrogen.

Monomer

A single unit of a carbohydrate, protein, or nucleic acid that can join with others to form a polymer.

Polymer

A large molecule formed by joining many repeating monomer units.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction where enzymes form bonds between two monomers, releasing a water molecule in the process to synthesize a polymer.

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction where enzymes break bonds between monomers in a polymer, requiring a water molecule to occur.

Carbohydrate

One of the four main types of organic molecules, including simple sugars and polysaccharides, providing energy or structural support.

Monosaccharide

The simplest type of sugar; a single unit of carbohydrate (e.g., ribose, glucose, fructose), acting as a carbohydrate monomer.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate formed by binding two monosaccharides together through dehydration synthesis (e.g., sucrose).

Polysaccharide

Long chains of monosaccharides, serving functions like structural support (cellulose) or energy storage (starch, glycogen).

Protein

One of the four main types of organic molecules, composed of amino acids, carrying out nearly all the work of the cell.

Amino Acid

The monomer of proteins, characterized by a general structure and a unique R-group, determining its specific properties.

Dipeptide

Two amino acids bound together by dehydration synthesis.

Polypeptide

A long chain of amino acids.

Denatured Protein

A protein that has lost its unique three-dimensional shape, and consequently, its function.

Primary Structure (Protein)

The specific amino acid sequence of a polypeptide.

Secondary Structure (Protein)

Localized areas of coils, sheets, and loops within a polypeptide.

Tertiary Structure (Protein)

The overall three-dimensional shape of a single polypeptide, which determines its function.

Quaternary Structure (Protein)

The overall protein shape, resulting from interactions between multiple polypeptides that make up the functional protein.

Nucleic Acid

One of the four main types of organic molecules, including DNA and RNA, which store and transmit genetic information.

Nucleotide

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

Nitrogenous Base

A component of a nucleotide; includes Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine (in both DNA/RNA), Thymine (only DNA), and Uracil (only RNA).

Lipid

One of the four main types of organic molecules; a diverse group of hydrophobic molecules (e.g., fats, oils, steroids, waxes) that are not built from chains of monomers.

Triglyceride

A type of lipid (fats and oils) formed from glycerol and three fatty acids, serving as an energy-rich molecule for long-term energy storage.

Steroid

A type of lipid characterized by a four-ring structure (e.g., cholesterol, sex hormones).

Fatty Acid

A component of triglycerides, covalently attached to glycerol.

Glycerol

A component of triglycerides, to which three fatty acid molecules are covalently attached.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid where all carbons are bonded to four other atoms, resulting in a straight shape and typically solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid containing at least one double bond, which gives it a bent shape and typically liquid at room temperature.

Wax

A class of lipids composed of fatty acids combined with alcohols, known for being particularly hydrophobic and forming waterproof seals.

Cholesterol

An important sterol lipid that regulates the fluidity of animal cell membranes and is used to synthesize many sex hormones.