Chemistry of Life, Macromolecules, and Biochemical Reactions

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering Unit 1 Chemistry of Life, carbon, macromolecules, chemical reactions, activation energy, and enzymes.

Carbon

The main element in organic compounds found in living things, which has the ability to form stable bonds with many elements including itself to create a wide variety of large and complex molecules.

Organic Compound

A chemical compound found in living organisms that contains carbon, usually bonded to hydrogen.

Monosaccharide

The monomer of carbohydrates, consisting of a simple sugar such as glucose or fructose.

Glucose

A monosaccharide simple sugar that serves as a monomer of carbohydrates and is a product of photosynthesis.

Fructose

A monosaccharide simple sugar found in fruits that acts as a monomer of carbohydrates.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate formed when $2$ monosaccharides are bonded together, such as sucrose.

Sucrose

A disaccharide commonly known as table sugar, formed by $2$ monosaccharides bonded together.

Polysaccharide

A complex carbohydrate where simple sugars bind together, with two main functions: storing energy and forming structural components of living things.

Starch

A polysaccharide used by plants to store energy, such as in underground tubers like potatoes.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide used by animals to store energy, stored in liver cells.

Cellulose

A polysaccharide used by plants to form rigid walls around cells.

Chitin

A polysaccharide used by some animals to form an external skeleton or exoskeleton.

Polysaccharide Functions and Examples

A classification of major polysaccharides: Starch (plant energy storage in tubers), Glycogen (animal energy storage in liver cells), Cellulose (plant cell walls), and Chitin (animal exoskeletons).

Protein

An organic macromolecule made of a chain of amino acids, whose specific order determines its shape and whose shape determines its function.

Amino Acid

The monomer of protein, of which there are $20$ different types found in living organisms.

Functions of Proteins

Biological functions fulfilled by proteins, including digestive enzymes facilitating chemical reactions, antibodies supporting immune function, supporting muscle contraction, regulating DNA/RNA, providing body support, hormones coordinating bodily functions, and moving essential molecules.

Lipid

An organic compound such as fat or oil that is made up of fatty acids and used by organisms to store energy.

Fatty Acid

Small repeating units that link together to make up lipids.

Nucleic Acid

An organic macromolecule whose monomer is a nucleotide and whose primary function is to store genetic information.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, composed of three key parts: a phosphate group, a sugar, and a nitrogenous base.

DNA

A nucleic acid that stores genetic information in living organisms.

RNA

A nucleic acid transcribed from DNA that is translated into protein.

Central Dogma

The biological process detailing the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA via transcription, and from RNA to protein via translation.

Atom

The basic building block of matter that makes up everything on Earth.

Element

A pure substance that consists entirely of one type of atom.

Periodic Table

An arrangement of chemical elements organized by atomic number and represented by chemical symbols.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Hydrogen Isotopes

Isotopic forms of hydrogen, including Hydrogen (${}_1^1\text{H}$ with $0$ neutrons), Deuterium (${}_1^2\text{H}$ with $1$ neutron), and Tritium (${}_1^3\text{H}$ with $2$ neutrons).

Organic vs. Inorganic Compounds

Organic compounds contain carbon bonded to hydrogen (e.g., DNA, sugar, methane, ethanol), whereas inorganic compounds usually do not contain carbon (e.g., table salt, hydrochloric acid, quartz), with exceptions including carbon dioxide, carbonates, cyanides, and carbides.

Chemical Reaction

The process of changing one set of chemicals into another, rearranging matter without creating or destroying it.

Reactants

Compounds or substances that enter into a chemical reaction, shown to the left of the reaction arrow.

Products

Compounds or substances produced by a chemical reaction, shown to the right of the reaction arrow.

Exothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that releases energy, often in the form of heat, represented by $\text{Reactants} \rightarrow \text{Products} + \text{Heat}$.

Endothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that absorbs energy, represented by $\text{Reactants} + \text{Heat} \rightarrow \text{Products}$.

Activation Energy

The minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction.

Catalyst

A chemical or biological agent that speeds up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst that accelerates chemical reactions in living organisms by lowering the activation energy.