Bio Midterm

Element

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

Essential Elements of Life

96% of the mass of all living things is made up of four elements: oxygen (O), carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (N).

Subatomic Particle

The smallest unit of an element, including protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Proton

A positively charged subatomic particle located in the nucleus of an atom.

Neutron

A subatomic particle with no charge, found in the nucleus of an atom.

Electron

A negatively charged subatomic particle that spins around the nucleus of an atom.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond formed through the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed when electrons are shared between atoms.

Hydrogen Bond

Weak attractions formed when a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to one electronegative atom is also attracted to another electronegative atom.

Polar Molecule

A molecule with unequal sharing of electrons, resulting in partial positive and negative charges.

Acid

A solution that contains a lot of H+ ions, typically with a pH less than 7.

Base (Alkaline)

A solution that contains a lot of OH- ions, typically with a pH greater than 7.

Organic Compound

A compound containing carbon, often surrounded by hydrogen.

Hydrocarbon

A compound consisting exclusively of carbon and hydrogen.

Monomer

The individual building blocks of a polymer.

Polymer

A large molecule made up of repeated monomer units.

Glycosidic Linkage

The bond formed between two monosaccharides during dehydration synthesis to create a disaccharide or polysaccharide.

Peptide Bond

The covalent bond formed between two amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

Macromolecule

A large, complex molecule, such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Hydrophilic

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

Hydrophobic

Substances that do not interact well with water.

Chaperone Proteins (Chaperonins)

Proteins that help other proteins fold properly.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

A nucleic acid essential for protein synthesis, consisting of a sugar (ribose), phosphate group, and nitrogenous bases.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

A nucleic acid that contains genetic information and directs the synthesis of mRNA.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, composed of a nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and phosphate group.

Cohesion

The tendency of water molecules to stick to each other.

Adhesion

The tendency of water molecules to stick to other substances.

Van der Waals Interactions

Weak attractions between molecules that arise from asymmetrical distribution of electrons.

Trace Elements

Elements required by living organisms in minute quantities, such as iron (Fe) and iodine (I).

Functional Groups

Components of organic molecules that are involved in chemical reactions and determine the unique properties of the molecules.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid with no double bonds in its carbon chain, typically solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid with one or more double bonds, causing bends in the carbon chain and making it liquid at room temperature.