Chemistry of Life Test Ultimate Study Guide

Carbon

The fundamental building block of life on Earth.

Organic Chemistry

The branch of chemistry devoted to the study of carbon-containing compounds.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outer shell of an atom that determine its bonding capacity; carbon has four.

Covalent Bonds

Strong bonds formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.

Macromolecules

Giant molecules formed by living cells from thousands or hundreds of thousands of smaller units.

Polymerization

The chemical process of assembling larger compounds by joining smaller individual units.

Monomers

Small, single chemical subunits that serve as the building blocks of larger molecules.

Polymers

Large molecules composed of many repeating monomers covalently bonded together.

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, typically in a 1:2:1 ratio.

Monosaccharides

Single sugar monomers that are the simplest form of carbohydrates.

Polysaccharides

Complex carbohydrates formed by polymerization of many monosaccharide units.

Lipids

Diverse group of macromolecules that are generally insoluble in water.

Fatty Acids

Building blocks of lipids that can be saturated or unsaturated.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers that store and transmit genetic information, including DNA and RNA.

Proteins

Polymers made of amino acid monomers that perform a wide range of functions in organisms.

Activation Energy

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

Enzymes

Specialized biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms.

Substrates

The specific reactants that bind to an enzyme in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction.

Active Site

The specialized region on an enzyme where substrates bind.

Catalyst

Any substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed.

Thermodynamics of Chemical Reactions

Study of energy changes during chemical transformations.

Exergonic Reaction

A reaction that releases energy, often occurring spontaneously.

Endergonic Reaction

A reaction that requires an input of energy to proceed.

Cohesion

The intermolecular attraction between molecules of the same substance.

Ionic Bonds

Strong chemical attractions formed by the transfer of valence electrons between atoms.

Buffer Systems

Biological buffers that maintain stable pH levels in cells.