Studied by 15 people
Essential element
A chemical element required for an organism to survive, grow and reproduce
Element
Form of matter made up of a single type of atom
Macroelement
Any chemical element that makes up a large portion of the body of living organisms
Trace element
any chemical element required by living organisms in minute amounts
Compound
a substance formed by two or more elements chemically bonded
Molecule
The result of two or more atoms covalently bonded and is the smallest part of any covalent compound
Covalent bond
A strong chemical bond in which two atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons
Polar bond
A covalent bond between atoms with a relatively large difference in electronegativity, so that the electrons are not shared equally
Nonpolar bond
A type of covalent bond in which electrons are shared equally between two atoms of similar electronegativity
Ionic bond
A chemical bond resulting from the attraction between oppositely charged ions formed by the exchange of valence electrons
Electronegativity
the tendency of an atom to attract electrons when chemically bonded
Hydrogen bond
The strongest and most important example of dipole interaction in biology
Dipole interaction
Weak attractions between polar molecules
Van der Waals
Weak attractions between molecules or parts of molecules that result from temporary distribution of partial charges
Adhesion
The clinging of one substance to surfaces
Cohesion
The linking together of like molecules
Surface tension
A measure of how difficult it is to break or stretch the surface of a liquid
calorie (lower case)
unit of heat defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius at atmospheric pressure
Specific heat capacity
The amount of heat that must be absorbed or lost for 1 g of a substance to change its temperature by 1 degree Celsius
Heat of vaporization
The amount of heat a liquid must absorb for 1 g of it to be converted from a liquid state to a gaseous state
Evaporative cooling
The process in which the surface of an object becomes cooler during evaporation
Solution
A mixture that consists of a solute and a solvent
Solvent
a substance capable of dissolving other substances
Solute
the dissolved substance in a solution
Hydrophilic
any substance that has a strong affinity for water
Hydrophobic
any substance that does not have an affinity for water
hydrogen ion
a positively charged ion (H+) formed of a hydrogen atom that has lost its electron
pH scale
measurement system used to indicate the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in solution
Buffer
A solution that minimizes changes in pH when extraneous acids or bases are added to the solution
Acid precipitation
precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere
Organic chemistry
the study of compounds containing carbon
Hydrocarbon
an organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen
Isomer
a compound that exists in forms having different arrangements of atoms but with the same molecular mass
Structural isomer
One of several compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms
Geometric isomers
Molecules that differ in arrangement around a double bond
Enantiomer
either one of a pair of compounds that are mirror images on each other
Functional group
A specific configuration of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules
Hydroxyl group
A functional group consisting of an oxygen atom bonded to a hydrogen atom
Alcohol
A chemical compound containing the hydroxyl group
Carbonyl group
A functional group that consists of a carbon atom double bonded to an oxygen atom (C=O)
Aldehyde
Compound that contains a terminal carbonyl group
Ketone
Compound that contains a non-terminal carbonyl group
Carboxyl group
A functional group consisting of a single carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and also bonded to a hydroxyl group
Carboxylic acid
A chemical compound that contains a carboxyl group
Amino group
A functional group consisting of a nitrogen bonded to two hydrogens
Amine
A chemical compound that contains an amino group
Amino acids
Biologically important organic compounds that contain the amino and carboxylic acid functional groups
Sulfhydryl group
A functional group that contains a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom
Thiol
Organic compounds that have a sulfhydryl functional group
Phosphate group
A functional group comprised of phosphorus attached to four oxygen, and with a net negative charge
Organic phosphate
Compounds containing phosphate groups
ATP (Adenosine triphosphate)
An important molecule that provides cellular energy in nearly all life forms
Asymmetric carbon
A carbon atom attached to four different types of atoms or four different groups of atoms
hyrdration shell
sphere of water molecules around a dissolved ion
dipole-dipole
attractions between oppositely charged regions of polar molecules
hyrdoxide ion
a water molecule that has lost a proton; OH-
Note
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