Chemistry of Life and Macromolecules Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental chemistry concepts, properties of water, macromolecules, and chemical reactions from the lecture notes.

Electron

A negatively charged particle ($$-$); located in the space surrounding the nucleus.

Element

A pure substance that consists of one type of atom.

Isotope

One of several forms of a single element, each of which contains the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Nucleus

The center of the atom which contains protons and neutrons.

Atom

The basic unit of matter; the small unit of an element.

Compound

A substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in definite proportions.

Molecule

The smallest unit of most compounds that displays all the properties of that compound.

Ionic bond

A chemical bond formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another.

Covalent bond

A type of bond between atoms in which the electrons are shared.

Cohesion

The attraction between molecules of the same substance.

Adhesion

The force of attraction between different kinds of molecules.

Heat capacity

The amount of heat needed to increase a substance’s temperature.

Solution

A type of mixture in which all the components are evenly distributed.

Suspension

A mixture of water and nondissolved materials.

Acid

A compound that releases hydrogen ions ($H^+$) in solution; a solution with a pH of less than 7.

Base

A compound that releases hydroxide ions ($OH^-$) in solution; a solution with a pH more than 7.

Buffer

A compound that prevents sharp, sudden changes in pH.

Carbohydrates

A macromolecule made up of carbons, hydrogen and oxygen atoms; a type of nutrient that is the main source of energy for the living things.

Lipids

A macromolecule made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms; includes fats, oils, and waxes.

Nucleic acids

Macromolecules containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus.

Nucleotides

The monomers of nucleic acids; they consist of a sugar, phosphate group and nitrogen base.

Proteins

Macromolecules that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen; needed by the body for growth and repair.

Amino acids

Compounds with an amino group on one end and a carboxyl group on the other end; building blocks of proteins.

Chemical reaction

The process that changes, or transforms, one set of chemicals into another set of chemicals.

Activation energy

The energy needed to start a chemical reaction.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction.

Enzyme

A protein catalyst that speeds up the rate of specific biological reactions; lowers the activation energy.