Biology Unit 1 Test: Metabolism and Energy Vocab

Atom

basic unit of a chemical element

Covalent bond

where two atoms share electrons to from a stable electron pair

Hydrogen Bond

weak bond between two molecules

Monomer

a single molecule (“one unit”)

Polymer

large number of smaller units bonded together

Calorie

unit of energy

Lipid

group of organic compounds that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar solvents (fatty or waxy substance)

Fatty Acid

long hydrocarbon chain with a carboxylic acid group at one end (building block for fats in food and in the body)

Triglyceride

type of fat found in the blood and stored in the body’s fat cells

Nucleic Acid

long molecule in cells that carries genetic info, essential for life to function and reproduce

Ribose (sugar)

forms the backbone of very important molecule called ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Phosphate

made of phosphorus and oxygen atoms

Nitrogenous base

organic molecule containing nitrogen

Protein

organic compounds composed of amino acids, essential building blocks for all living organisms

Polypeptide

long chain of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds

Amino Acid

organic compounds that serve as the fundamental building blocks of proteins

Enzyme

biological catalyst, almost always a protein, speeds up specific chemical reactions in living organisms without being consumed be the reaction itself

Carbohydrate

organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms

monosaccharide

simplest type of carb, single sugar molecule that can’t be broken down into smaller sugars by hydrolysis

disaccharide

type of carb made of two simpler sugar units, chemically link together by a glycosidic bond

polysaccharide

type of carb composed of long chains of many simpler sugar units linked together

Metabolism

series of chemical reactions that occur within an organism to convert food into energy

Catabolism

breakdown of complex molecules in living organisms into simpler ones, releasing energy into the body for fuel

Anabolism

building of simpler molecules into larger more complex ones

Hyrdolysis

chemical reaction where water breaks apart a larger molecule into smaller pieces

Dehydration synthesis

a chemical process where two molecules join together to form a larger molecule by losing a molecule of water

Condensation reactions

a chemical process where two or more molecules join to form a larger molecule, releasing a small molecule such as water