CAPE BIOLOGY UNIT ONE MANUAL

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts in cell and molecular biology, focusing on vocabulary and definitions.

Macronutrients

Essential nutrients required in large amounts, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between atoms.

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak attractions between polar molecules, important for the properties of water and in stabilizing the structure of proteins and nucleic acids.

Monosaccharides

The simplest form of carbohydrates, consisting of single sugar units, e.g., glucose and fructose.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates formed from two monosaccharides linked together by a glycosidic bond, e.g., sucrose and lactose.

Polysaccharides

Complex carbohydrates composed of long chains of monosaccharide units, e.g., starch, glycogen, and cellulose.

Glycosidic Bond

A type of covalent bond that joins a carbohydrate molecule to another group.

Hydrolysis Reaction

A chemical reaction that breaks down compounds by the addition of water.

Triglyceride

A type of lipid composed of three fatty acids bonded to a glycerol molecule, used as a major form of energy storage.

Phospholipid

A lipid molecule with a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails, forming the structure of cell membranes.

Amino Acid

Organic compounds that combine to form proteins; they contain an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a unique side chain.

Peptide Bond

The covalent bond linking amino acids together in a protein.

Denaturation

The irreversible alteration of a protein's structure due to factors such as temperature or pH.

Active Site

The region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Speciation

The evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species.

Gene Therapy

A technique that modifies a person's genes to treat or prevent disease.

Endosymbiont Theory

The theory that eukaryotic cells evolved from symbiotic relationships between prokaryotic cells.

Gamete

A reproductive cell that unites with another to form a new organism.

Fertilization

The process where male and female gametes fuse to form a zygote.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Homeostasis

The ability of living organisms to maintain stable internal conditions despite external changes.

Cell Membrane

A biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the external environment.

Fluid Mosaic Model

A model that describes the structure of cell membranes as a mosaic of various components that are mobile within the layer.