Chemistry of Life

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57 Terms

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elements

substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means

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trace elements

elements that are required by organisms but only in very small quantities (ex: iron, iodine, copper)

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atoms

the smallest unit of an element that retains its characteristic properties; building blocks of the physical world

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subatomic particles

protons, neutrons, and electrons (protons & neutrons in the nucleus)

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isotopes

atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons in the nucleus

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compound

2+ individual elements combined in a fixed ratio

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ionic bond

transfer of electrons from one atom to the other; consist of cations (+) and anions (-)

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covalent bond

sharing of electrons between atoms (single, double, triple)

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polar covalent

unequal distribution of shared electrons

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non-polar covalent

equal distribution of shared electrons

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hydrogen bonds

weak chemical bonds that form when a hydrogen atom is covalently bonded to one electronegative atom and attracted to another (O, F, N)

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Capillary action exists as a product of which 2 properties of water?

adhesion and cohesion

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heat capacity

the ability of a substance to resist temperature changes

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Acidic solutions contain

hydrogen ions (H+)

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Basic/alkaline solutions contain

hydroxide ions (OH-)

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pH formula

-log[H+] ; changes are represented by tenfold (pH 3 is ten times more acidic than pH 4)

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All organic compounds contain

carbon AND hydrogen (other things too)

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polymers

made up of a chain of building blocks, individually called monomers

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carbohydrates

CnH2nOn (1:2:1)

monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides

“saccharide” = sugar

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monosaccharides

ex: glucose, fructose, galactose, ribose, deoxyribose

glucose: C6H12O6

  • most abundant

  • most popular sugar: photosynthesis, breaking down for energy

fructose: C6H12O6

  • common sugar in fruits

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disaccharides

two monosaccharides brought together: hydrogen (-H) from one sugar molecule combines with the hydroxyl group (-OH) of another — results in the formation of water

ex: maltose (2 glucose), sucrose (table sugar), and lactose (dairy)

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dehydration synthesis/condensation

when two monosaccharides are joined and a water molecule is lost during the process

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glycosidic linkage

the bond between two monosaccharides that results in a disaccharide

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hydrolysis

process of breaking 2 monosaccharides by adding a water molecule; breaks the glycosidic linkage

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polysaccharides

many repeated units of monosaccharides (branched or unbranched)

ex: starch, cellulose, glycogen [starch & glycogen are sugar storage molecules]

  • starch: stores sugar in plants

  • glycogen: stores sugar in animals

  • cellulose: beta-glucose (b-glucose) - major part of the cell walls in plants (structural support)

    • chitin: polymer of b-glucose molecules; structural molecule in the walls of fungus & exoskeletons of arthropods

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proteins

perform most of the work in cells (structure, function, and regulation of tissues & organs); made up of amino acids

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amino acids

building blocks of protein (CHON)

4 central parts:

  • amino group (-NH2)

  • carboxyl group (-COOH)

  • hydrogen (-H)

  • R-group: side chain

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R-groups/side chains differences

  1. composition of elements (CHONS)

  2. polarity - affects whether an amino acid is hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or ionic

  3. charge

  4. shape (long/short chain, ring-shape)

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hydrophobic

non-polar & uncharged

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hydrophilic

polar & uncharged

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ionic

polar & charged

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dipeptide

two amino acids; the carboxyl group of one amino acid combines with the amino group of another amino acid

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peptide bond

the bond between two amino acids

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polypeptide

a group of amino acids is joined together in a string resulting in an organic compound

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Proteins are formed when

a polypeptide chain twists and folds on itself forming a 3D structure

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amino group (NH2) end of a protein

N-terminus/amino terminus

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carboxyl group (COOH) end of a protein

C-terminus/carboxyl terminus

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Proteins have _ levels of structure.

4

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primary structure of a protein

linear sequence of amino acids

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secondary structure of a protein

when a polypeptide begins to twist, forming either a coil (alpha helix) or a zigzagging pattern (beta-pleated sheets)

  • formed by amino acids that interact with other amino acids close by in the primary structure

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tertiary structure of proteins

after the secondary structure reshapes the polypeptide, amino acids that were far away in the primary structure arrangement can now interact with each other

  • most proteins are found in aqueous environments - hydrophilic amino aids & regions of the peptide chain are often located on the exterior of the protein

  • hydrophobic amino acids & regions are usually found on the interior of proteins

  • minimizes free energy of the molecule & locks into a stable 3D shape

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quaternary structure of proteins

different polypeptide chains sometimes interact with each other; come together to be called subunits of the final whole protein

ex: hemoglobin (helps distribute oxygen in to the tissues in the body) - formed when 4 separate polypeptide chains interact with each other; each of the 4 chains create a subunit of the final hemoglobin protein

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chaperone proteins (chaperonins)

helps proteins fold properly and make the process more efficient

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lipids

consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen; same ratio as carbs

ex: triglycerides, phospholipids, steroids

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triglycerides

made up of glycerol molecule/backbone - 3 fatty acid chain attached; each of the carboxyl groups of the three fatty acids must react with one of the three hydroxyl groups of the glycerol molecule (dehydration synthesis)

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fatty acid chain

long chain of carbons in which each carbon is covered in hydrogen (one end of the chain has a carboxyl group); can be saturated with hydrogens along its long carbon chain or it can have a few gaps where double bonds esit instead of hydrogen

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ester linkage

link formed between glycerol molecule & fatty acids

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polyunsaturated fatty acid

many double bonds within the fatty acid

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phospholipids

2 fatty acid tails & 1 negatively charged phosphate head

  • tails = hydrophobic (non-polar)

  • head = hydrophilic (polar)

amphipathic molecule: both hydrophilic & -phobic regions

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cholesterol

  • important type of lipid

  • 4-ringed (sometimes found in membranes)

  • increase in membrane fluidity (except at very high temps when it helps to hold things together instead)

  • important for making certain types of hormones & vitamin D

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nucleic acids

CHONP

made up of nucleotides

ex: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) [blueprints of life] & ribonucleic acid [protein synthesis]

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