Biochemistry

Atom

Basic unit of matter

Nucleus

the center of an atom, which contains the protons and neutrons

Electron

A subatomic particle that has a negative charge

Element

A pure substance made of only one kind of atom

Isotope

Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons

Compound

A substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds

Ionic bond

Formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another

Ions

positively and negatively charged atoms

Covalent bond

A chemical bond that involves sharing a pair of electrons between atoms in a molecule

Molecule

two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds

Hydrogen bond

Attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen atom and a slightly negative atom

Cohesion

Attraction between molecules of the same substance

Adhesion

An attraction between molecules of different substances

Mixture

A combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined

Solution

A mixture that forms when one substance dissolves another.

Solute

A substance that is dissolved in a solution.

Solvent

the substance in which the solute dissolves

Suspensions

mixtures of water and non dissolved material

pH Scale

measurement system used to indicate the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in solution; ranges from 0 to 14

Acid

any compound that forms H+ ions in solution; ranges from 0 to 6 on the pH scale

Base

any compound that forms OH- ions on a solution; ranges from 8 to 14 on the pH scale

Monomer

A simple compound whose molecules can join together to form polymers

Polymers

large compound formed from combinations of many monomers

Carbohydrates

made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, usually in a ratio of 1:2:1

Lipids

organic compounds, such as fats, oils, and waxes, that are made up of mostly carbon and hydrogen atoms

Nucleotides

Basic units of DNA molecule, composed of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group (-PO4), and a nitrogenous base

Nucleic Acids

polymers assembled from nucleotides

Proteins

macromolecules that contain nitrogen as well as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

Amino acids

Compounds with an amino group on one end and a carboxyl group on the other end.

Chemical reaction

a process that changes, or transforms, one set of compounds into another

Reactant

elements or compounds that engage into a chemical reaction

Products

The elements or compounds produced by a chemical reaction.

Activation energy

Energy needed to get a reaction started

Catalyst

substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed

Enzymes

biological catalysts that speed up the rate of chemical reactions

Substrates

the reactants of enzyme-catalyzed reactions