Gen Bio 2 Midterm Review Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic metric units, colorimetry principles, microscopy, molecular modeling, and membrane permeability for Gen Bio 2.

Gram ($g$)

The standard metric unit for mass.

Liter ($L$)

The standard metric unit for volume.

Meter ($m$)

The standard metric unit for length or distance.

Mega- ($M$)

A metric prefix meaning one million or $10^6$.

Kilo- ($k$)

A metric prefix meaning one thousand or $10^3$.

Hecto- ($h$)

A metric prefix meaning one hundred or $10^2$.

Deka- ($da$)

A metric prefix meaning ten or $10^1$.

Deci- ($d$)

A metric prefix meaning one-tenth or $10^{-1}$.

Centi- ($c$)

A metric prefix meaning one-hundredth or $10^{-2}$.

Milli- ($m$)

A metric prefix meaning one-thousandth or $10^{-3}$.

Micro- ($\mu$)

A metric prefix meaning one-millionth or $10^{-6}$.

Nano- ($n$)

A metric prefix meaning one-billionth or $10^{-9}$.

Pico- ($p$)

A metric prefix meaning one-trillionth or $10^{-12}$.

Scientific Notation

A method used to express very large or very small numbers in powers of $10$.

Solute

The substance that is dissolved in the solvent to form a solution.

Solvent

The liquid (such as water or alcohol) in which a solute is dissolved.

Concentration

A measure of how much solute is present in a solution relative to the solvent.

Dimensional Analysis

A method used to convert one unit of measurement to another using a conversion factor written as a ratio.

Colorimeter

A machine used to analyze the composition of solutions by evaluating the quality or quantity of light.

Spectrophotometer

A machine that passes a selected wavelength of light through a solution and measures absorbance or transmittance.

Absorbance

A measure of how much light is being blocked or absorbed by the solute in a solution; it increases with concentration.

Percentage Transmittance ($\% T$)

A measure of how much light is passing through a solution; it decreases as concentration increases.

Blank

A calibration solution containing everything in the sample except the molecule of interest (e.g., $diH_2O$ for a riboflavin solution).

Absorption Spectrum

A qualitative measurement created by recording absorbance values across a range of wavelengths (e.g., $380\,nm$ to $950\,nm$).

BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin)

A type of protein synthesized in the liver and found in blood that contributes to blood osmolarity.

Beer-Lambert Law

States that there is a direct, linear relationship between solute concentration and absorbance, expressed as $A = \epsilon CL$.

Biuret Reagent

Also known as carbamylurea, it reacts with copper sulfate and $NaOH$ to produce a purple color in the presence of peptide bonds.

Standard Curve

A graph showing the relationship between known concentrations and absorption, used to estimate the concentration of an unknown substance.

Magnification

The process of enlarging the appearance of an object.

Resolution

The ability of a microscope to distinguish two adjacent structures as separate, improving the clarity of detail.

Contrast

The difference in light intensity between an image and its adjacent background.

Working Distance

The distance between the top surface of the cover slip on the microscope slide and the tip of the objective lens.

Positive Stain

A dye absorbed by cells or organisms that adds color to make objects of interest stand out against the background.

Negative Stain

A dye absorbed by the background but not by the cells or organisms being observed.

Objective Lens

The primary optical component positioned closest to the specimen that gathers light to form the first magnified image.

Condenser

A lens located beneath the stage that controls the intensity of light passing through the specimen.

Iris Diaphragm

An adjustable opening beneath the stage that controls the width and angle of light passing through the specimen.

Total Magnification

Calculated by multiplying the objective lens magnification by the ocular lens magnification (e.g., $4 \times 10 = 40X$).

Depth of Field

The vertical thickness of the specimen that is in focus; it decreases as magnification increases.

Carbohydrates

A major class of macromolecules that serve as a source of all energy; the simplest forms are monosaccharides.

Lipids

Hydrophobic macromolecules used for long-term energy storage that are unable to dissolve in $H_2O$.

Isomers

Molecules that possess the same chemical formula but have different structures.

Cis Isomers

Molecules where functional groups are located on the same side of the molecule.

Trans Isomers

Molecules where functional groups are located on opposite sides of a double bond or carbon ring.

Enantiomers

Pairs of molecules that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other.

Chair Conformation

The most stable 3D buckled structure that a six-ring molecule can adopt.

Diffusion

The passive transport of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration until equilibrium is reached.

Osmosis

The movement of water from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.

Dialysis

A passive movement where one type of solute is separated from another by a selectively permeable membrane.

Osmotic Pressure

The pressure required to be applied to a solution to prevent pure water from diffusing into it.