Unit 1: Biochemistry

Adhesion

Adhesion

The clinging of one substance to a different substance, such as water to plant cell walls by means of hydrogen bonds.

Amino Acid

An organic molecule possessing both carboxyl and an amino group. Amino acids serve as the monomers of polypeptides.

Amphipathic

Having both a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region.

Valence

The bonding capacity of a given atom; usually equals the number of unpaired electrons required to complete the atom's outermost (valence) shell.

Surface Tension

A measure of how difficult it is to stretch or break the surface of a liquid. esp the barrier at the surface of water caused by water cohesion

Sulfhydryl Group

A chemical group consisting of a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom.

Structural isomer

One of several compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms.

Specific Heat

The amount of heat that must be absorbed or lost for 1 g of a substance to change its temperature by 1°C.

Solvent

The dissolving agent of a solution. Water is the most versatile solvent known.

Proteomics

The systematic study of the full protein sets (proteomes) encoded by genomes.

Protein

A biologically functional molecule consisting of one or more polypeptides folded and coiled into a specific three-dimensional structure. Monomer is amino acids

Polymer

A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together by covalent bonds.

Polarity

The property of a molecule with oppositely charged ends

Phospholipid

A lipid made up of glycerol joined to two fatty acids and a phosphate group. The hydrocarbon chains of the fatty acids act as nonpolar, hydrophobic tails, while the rest of the molecule acts as a polar, hydrophilic head. Phospholipids form bilayers that function as biological membranes.

Phospate group

A chemical group consisting of a phosphorus atom bombed to four oxygen atoms; important in energy transfer.

pH

A measure of hydrogen ion concentration equal to -log [H+] and ranging in value from 0 to 14.

Peptidoglycan

A type of polymer in bacterial cell walls consisting of modified sugars cross-linked by short polypeptides. Makes bacterial cell walls.

Nucleotide

The building block of a nucleic acid, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and one or more phosphate groups.

Nucleic Acid

A polymer (polynucleotide) of many nucleotide monomers. The two types are DNA and RNA. involved in storing and expressing genetic info.

Monomer

The subunit that serves as the building block of a polymer.

Methyl Group

A chemical group consisting of a carbon bonded to three hydrogen atoms. The methyl group may be attached to a carbon or to a different atom.

Matter

anything that takes up space and has mass. Made of atoms.

Macromolecule

A giant molecule formed by the joining of smaller molecules, usually by a dehydration reaction. Polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids are macromolecules.

Lipid

Any of a group of large biological molecules, including fats, phospholipids, and steroids, that mix poorly, if at all, with water.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond resulting from the attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Hydrogen Bond

A type of weak chemical bond between molecules that is formed when the slightly positive hydrogen atom of a polar covalent bond in one molecule is attracted to the slightly negative atom of a polar covalent bond in another molecule or in another region of the same molecule.

Hydroxyl Group

A chemical group consisting of an oxygen atom joined to a hydrogen atom. Molecules possessing this group are soluble in water and are called alcohols. Can often "lose' the H as an ion creating an acid.

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction that breaks bonds between two molecules by the addition of water; functions in disassembly of polymers to monomers.

Glycogen

An extensively branched glucose storage polysaccharide found in the liver and muscle of animals; the animal equivalent of starch.

Evaporative Cooling

The process in which the surface of an object becomes cooler during evaporation, a result of the molecules with the greatest kinetic energy changing from the liquid to the gaseous state.

Energy

The capacity to cause change, especially to do work (to move matter against an opposing force).

Enantiomer

One of two compounds that are mirror images of each other and that differ in shape due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon.

Denaturation

a process in which a protein loses its native shape due to the disruption of weak chemical bond and interactions between amino acids that cause the 3D shape. , the protein becomes biologically inactive; In DNA, the separation of the two strands of the double helix. Denaturation occurs under extreme (noncellular) conditions of pH, salt concentration, or temperature.

Electronegativity

The attraction of a given atom for the electrons of a covalent bond.

Covalent Bond

A type of strong chemical bond in which two atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons. single bond (one electron pair shared), double bond (2 electron pairs shared)

Cohesion

the linking together of like molecules, often by hydrogen bonds

Cis-trans isomers

One of several compounds that have the same molecular formula and covalent bonds between atoms but differ in the spatial arrangements of their atoms owing to the inflexibility of double bonds; formerly called a geometric isomer.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide, consisting of amino sugar monomers, found in many fungal cell walls and in the exoskeletons of all arthropods.

Chemical Reaction

the making and breaking of chemical bonds, leading to changes in the composition of matter

Cellulose

a structural polysaccharide of plant cell walls, consisting of glucose monomers joined by beta glycosidic linkages.

Carboxyl Group

A chemical group present in organic acids and consisting of a single carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and also bonded to a hydroxyl group.

Carbonyl Group

A chemical group present in aldehydes and ketones and consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom.

Carbohydrate

A sugar (monosaccharide) or one of its dimers (disaccharides) or polymers (polysaccharides).

Triglyceride

An energy-rich compound made up of a single molecule of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acid.

alpha linkage

if the -OH group is below the plane of sugars

Amino

The group —NH2, present in amino acids, amides, and many amines.

Amylose/ Starch

Amylose: a type of polymer found in starch. It is a linear chain composed of hundreds to thousands of glucose molecules.

Starch: a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds.

Anabolic

building molecules

Bond

A force of attraction that holds atoms or ions together in a molecule or crystal.

Capillary Action

The movement of a liquid(water molecules) through a narrow space as a result of cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a water molecule.

Peptide

A compound consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain, the carboxyl group of each acid being joined to the amino group of the next by a bond of the type -OC-NH-.

Radioactivity

The emission of ionizing radiation or particles caused by the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei.

Saccharide

Another term for sugar

Beta Linkage

if the -OH group is above the plane of sugars

Exo/endothermic

exothermic- releasing heat. Endothermic - taking in heat

Saturated and Unsaturated fat

saturated had no double bonds