AP BIOLOGY - CHEMISTRY OF LIFE FULL SET

Water Polarity

Polar covalent bonds between hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules create polarity, contributing to hydrogen bonding.

Specific Heat Capacity of Water

High specific heat capacity allows living organisms to maintain homeostatic body temperature.

Heat of Vaporization of Water

High heat of vaporization allows for evaporative cooling and body temperature maintenance.

Water Cohesion, Adhesion, and Surface Tension

Result from hydrogen bonds forming between adjacent polar water molecules.

Common Elements in Biological Molecules

Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are the most prevalent elements used to build biological molecules.

Role of Sulfur

Sulfur is used in the building of proteins.

Role of Phosphorus

Phosphorus is used in the building of phospholipids and nucleic acids.

Role of Nitrogen

Nitrogen is used in the building of nucleic acids.

Hydrolysis Reaction

Breaks down polymers into smaller monomers by adding water to cleave covalent bonds.

Dehydration Synthesis

Joins smaller molecules by removing H and OH, releasing water and forming polymers (polymerization).

Carbohydrate Monomers and Polymers

Monosaccharides (simple sugars) are monomers connected by covalent bonds to form linear or branched polysaccharides.

Saturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids containing only single bonds between carbon atoms.

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids containing at least one double bond between carbon atoms, causing the chain to kink.

Unsaturated Lipid Fluidity

The more unsaturated a lipid is (more double bonds), the more liquid it is at room temperature.

Functions of Fats

Provide energy storage, support cell function, and offer insulation to help keep mammals warm.

Steroids and Cholesterol

Steroids are hormones regulating growth, metabolism, and homeostasis; cholesterol provides structural stability to animal cell membranes.

Phospholipids

Group together to form the lipid bilayers found in plasma and cell membranes.

Nucleotide Structure

Consists of a five-carbon sugar (deoxyribose or ribose), a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base.

Nucleic Acid Directionality

Linear sequence with 3' hydroxyl and 5' phosphate ends; nucleotides are added to the 3' end during synthesis.

DNA Base Pairing

Adenine pairs with thymine (A-T) and cytosine pairs with guanine (C-G) via hydrogen bonds.

Structural Differences Between DNA and RNA

DNA contains deoxyribose, thymine, and is double-stranded; RNA contains ribose, uracil, and is single-stranded.

Peptide Bonds in Proteins

Covalent bonds forming between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amine group of the next.

Amino Acid Structure

Central carbon atom bound to a hydrogen atom, a carboxyl group, an amine group, and a variable R group.

Protein Primary and Secondary Structure

Primary structure is the amino acid sequence; secondary structure includes alpha-helices and beta-pleated sheets formed by hydrogen bonding.

Protein Tertiary Structure

Three-dimensional shape resulting from hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, ionic interactions, and disulfide bridges.

Protein Quaternary Structure

Arises from interactions between multiple polypeptide chains to determine overall protein function.