AP Biology Unit 1 - Chemistry of Life

Vocabulary flashcards pertaining to the chemistry of life in AP Biology.

Solvent

A substance able to dissolve other substances.

Solute

The minor component in a solution, which is dissolved in the solvent.

Polar

Describes a molecule in which electrons are not evenly distributed in a covalent bond.

Non-Polar

Describes a molecule in which electrons are evenly distributed in a covalent bond.

Cohesion

The attraction that occurs between identical molecules.

Adhesion

The attraction that occurs between molecules of different substances.

Specific Heat

The heat needed to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a given substance by a given amount (usually one degree).

Density

Calculated by dividing the mass of a substance by its volume.

Heat of Vaporization

The amount of energy needed to change one gram of a liquid substance to a gas at constant temperature.

Macromolecules

Large molecules composed of many smaller molecules.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak chemical bond formed when partial charges from polar molecules attract each other.

Evaporative Cooling

The process where water absorbs body heat and evaporates, cooling the body.

Monomer

A simple compound or molecule that is joined with other molecules to produce polymers.

Polymer

A large and complex compound composed of combined smaller compounds, or monomers.

Hydrolysis

The process where a molecule is split through the addition of water.

Dehydration Synthesis

A condensation reaction where molecules are joined together by the removal of water.

Amino Acids

The building blocks of proteins.

Carbohydrate

A macromolecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that acts as a major source of short-term energy.

Nucleotide

A building block of nucleic acids, containing a nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and phosphate group.

Saturated Fats

Fats that are solid at room temperature and contain only single bonds between carbon atoms.

Unsaturated Fats

Fats that contain at least one double bond, making them liquid at room temperature.

Phospholipid

A type of lipid consisting of two fatty acids, a hydrophilic phosphate, and glycerol, essential for cell membranes.

Complementary Bases

Nucleotide pairs that always pair together in DNA structure, such as A with T, and C with G.

Purines

Large nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids, specifically adenine (A) and guanine (G).

Pyrimidines

Small nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids, specifically cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U in RNA).