The Chemistry of Life Flashcards

Flashcards of the chemistry of life.

What are the two main groups that molecules for life are divided into?

Inorganic and Organic Compounds

Name four organic compounds.

Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic acids and Vitamins

What is the smallest unit of matter that can take part in a chemical reaction?

Atom

What is a molecule?

Two or more atoms that combine with one another chemically.

What is a pure substance not made up of other simpler substances?

Element

What is a pure substance made up of simpler substances, or two or more chemically combined elements?

Compound

Name seven basic characteristics of life.

Nutrition, Response to stimuli, Growth, Reproduction, Respiration, Excretion, Movement/locomotion

What is the smallest unit of life that contains cellular inclusions, known as organelles?

Cell

What is a group of similarly differentiated cells that perform a common function?

Tissue

What is a group of different tissues, each of which performs its own function, but together performs a common function?

Organ

What kind of chemical compounds do not contain the element carbon (C) and are not produced by living organisms?

Inorganic compounds

What kind of chemical compounds contain the element carbon (C) and are produced by living organisms?

Organic compounds

Name the most important inorganic compound for living organisms.

Water

What is the formula for water?

H2O

Name four functions of water in living organisms.

Solvent, Medium for chemical reactions, Reagent during hydrolysis, Transporting agent

What function of water makes chewing and swallowing easier and aids food movement?

Lubricant

How does water regulate body temperature?

Through sweat evaporation

How does water give shape and rigidity?

Hydrostatic skeletons and turgor pressure

What are inorganic substances that are needed and absorbed by living organisms?

Mineral salts

Name the two groups mineral salts can be divided into.

Macro-elements and Micro-elements

What mineral salt builds strong bones and teeth and is necessary for blood coagulation?

Calcium (Ca)

What mineral salt is a component of ATP and DNA/RNA?

Phosphorus (P)

What mineral salt is important for maintaining water balance and nerve function?

Sodium (Na)

What mineral salt controls heart rhythm and facilitates muscle function?

Potassium (K)

What microelement helps to form hemoglobin that transports O₂ in the blood?

Iron (Fe)

What microelement is a component of the hormone thyroxin?

Iodine (I)

What ions are the main source of phosphorus in plants?

Phosphate ions (PO4)

What ions are the main source of nitrogen (N) that is needed for protein synthesis?

Nitrate ions (NO3)

What elements are carbohydrates made of?

Carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).

What ratio of H atoms: O atoms are in Carbohydrates?

2:1

Into what three groups are Carbohydrates divided?

Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, Polysaccharides

Give three types of monosaccharides.

Glucose, Fructose, Galactose

Name three types of disaccharides.

Maltose, Sucrose, Lactose

Name three types of polysaccharides.

Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose

What form is glucose stored in the plant?

Starch

What form is excess glucose stored in the liver and skeletal muscles of humans and animals?

Glycogen

What forms the structural component of plant cell walls?

Cellulose

What is the most important fuel molecule?

Glucose

What is the test for the presence of glucose?

Use Benedict’s solution

A blue-black color on a test material after adding iodine indicates the presence of?

Starch

What elements are lipids made of?

Carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O)

Lipid molecules consist of what two types of building blocks?

Glycerol and fatty acids

Are Lipids soluble in water?

No

Are Lipids soluble in ether and alcohol?

Yes

What are two types of fats?

Saturated fats and Unsaturated fats

Where are Saturated fats mainly derived from?

Animals, e.g. butter and lard

Where are Unsaturated fats mainly derived from?

Plants, e.g. olive oil, canola oil and sunflower oil

What is the narrowing of arteries due to fatty deposits called?

Atherosclerosis

What is known as the cardiac muscle pain felt when the coronary artery is only partially blocked?

Angina

Name three importances of lipids in animals and plants

Source of reserve energy, Insulating material, Shock absorption

What double layer forms cell membranes?

Phospholipid molecules

Name three importances of lipids in animals and plants

Absorption of vitamins, Waterproofing, Source of water

What is a translucent greasy spot on filter paper after ether evaporation indicates the presence of?

Fats

What elements are amino acids made up of?

Carbon (c), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N)

What is the bond/link formed between two amino acids is known as?

Peptide bond

What does it mean when a protein denature?

The protein is sensitive to temperature and pH and will have the shape of the enzyme begin to change and the substrate no longer fits into the active site. The enzyme cannot perform its function.

Name three importances of proteins in animals and plants

Structural component of protoplasm, Building materials, The structural component of cell membranes

Name three importances of proteins in animals and plants

Source of reserve energy, Hormones regulate processes in the body, Heamoglobin transport O2 and CO2 in the blood

Name three importances of proteins in animals and plants

Chromosomes carry hereditary material, Act as buffers, Enzymes control metabolic processes in the body

What process breaks down excess amino acids into urea and glucose?

Deamination

A purple/violet color of the solution after the test indicates the presence of?

Protein

What are the proteins that accelerate chemical reactions inside living cells?

Enzymes

What is the term for substances that accelerate chemical reactions?

Catalysts

What energy do reactions need to initiate the reaction?

Activation energy

What kind of reactions take place in living cells?

Metabolic reactions

What kind of reaction has a complex molecule built up from simple molecules?

Anabolic reaction

What kind of reaction has a complex molecule broken down into simple molecules?

Catabolic reaction

What is known for the catabolic process of breaking down complex molecules into simple molecules by adding H2O?

Hydrolysis

During a chemical reaction, a substance is changed from one form to another, is also know as what?

substrate

The substance formed during the reaction is known as what?

product

The temperature at which most enzymes work the best is known as what?

optimum temperature

If an enzyme denatures at high temperature, what occurs?

the shape of the enzyme begins to change and the substrate no longer fits into the active site. The enzyme cannot perform its function

The pH-range within which it can function is known as what?

the optimum pH

What washing powder contains enzymes that can break up/remove biological stains?

Biological washing powders

What elements are Nucliec acids made up of?

carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)

Name the two types of nucleic acids.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid)

What carries the hereditary characteristics and controls the structure and function of the cell?

DNA

What plays a role in protein synthesis to ensure that the amino acids bind to one another in a certain sequence

RNA

What are essential for normal metabolism, growth and development of the human body?

Vitamins

What can insufficient vitamins cause?

deficiency diseases