BIO 10 - Chemistry, Water, pH, and Biological Molecules

Vocabulary flashcards covering key chemical concepts, water properties, pH regulation, and macromolecular structures for BIO 10 Exam 1.

Matter

Anything that takes up space and has mass.

Atom

The smallest unit of ordinary matter that forms a chemical element, typically measuring around $100\,\text{picometers}$ across.

Element

A pure substance made of only one type of atom that cannot be reduced to simpler component substances through chemical processes.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which equals the number of electrons in a neutral atom.

Atomic Mass

The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

Isotope

Different forms of an atom of an element that have the same number of protons (same atomic number) but a different number of neutrons (different atomic mass).

Ionic Bonding

A chemical bond formed when one atom gives up its electron(s) completely to another atom.

Covalent Bonding

A chemical bond formed when one atom shares its electron(s) with another atom.

Polar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which shared electrons spend more time around one atom (yielding a partial negative charge, $\delta-$) than the other (yielding a partial positive charge, $\delta+$).

Electronegativity

The power of an atom to attract electrons to itself within a chemical bond.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are shared equally between the two bonded atoms.

Molecule

A structure formed when two or more atoms of any element(s) are chemically joined together.

Compound

A structure formed when two or more atoms of different elements are chemically joined together.

Van der Waals Interaction

A very weak force of attraction between electrically neutral molecules that collide with or pass very close to each other.

Hydrophobic Interaction

The tendency of nonpolar substances to aggregate in an aqueous solution and exclude water molecules.

Solution

A homogeneous, uniform mixture of two or more kinds of materials, such as solutes dissolved in a solvent.

Solute

The material in a solution that is being dissolved or solubilized.

Solvent

The material in a solution that does the dissolving or solubilization.

Cation

A positively charged ion that has lost one or more electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion that has gained one or more electrons.

Specific Heat

The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of $1\,\text{gram}$ of a substance by $1\,^\circ\text{C}$.

Acid

A substance that yields hydrogen ions ($H^+$ / protons) when placed in an aqueous solution.

Base

A substance that removes hydrogen ions ($H^+$) from an aqueous solution.

Buffer Solution

An aqueous solution consisting of a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base (or vice versa) that resists large changes in pH.

Acidosis

A physiological state caused by an excess of acid in the blood, dropping blood pH below $7.35$.

Alkalosis

A physiological state caused by an excess of base in the blood, raising blood pH above $7.45$.

Hyponatremia

A condition occurring when the concentration of sodium in the blood is abnormally low.

Organic Chemistry

The branch of chemistry devoted to the study of molecules that have carbon as their central element.

Macromolecule

A large molecule characterized by high molecular weight or mass.

Polymer

A macromolecule formed from repeated subunit monomers linked together by chemical bonds.

Monomer

A smaller molecular subunit that can be chemically linked to form a polymer.

Polymerization

The process of linking many monomers end-to-end to form a polymer.

Functional Group

A group of atoms that confers a special chemical property on a carbon-based molecule.

Monosaccharide

A simple sugar monomer of carbohydrates, such as glucose or fructose.

Disaccharide

A simple sugar dimer consisting of two monosaccharides linked together, such as sucrose, lactose, or maltose.

Polysaccharide

A complex carbohydrate polymer made of many monosaccharides linked together.

Starch

The main form of carbohydrate storage in plants.

Glycogen

The main form of carbohydrate storage in animals, found primarily in striated muscles and the liver.

Cellulose

A structural polysaccharide that forms cell walls in plants.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide that forms the external skeleton (exoskeleton) of arthropods.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid hydrocarbon chain containing no double bonds between carbon atoms.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid hydrocarbon chain containing exactly one double bond.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid hydrocarbon chain containing more than one double bond.

Steroid Lipid

A class of lipids defined by a central skeleton of four fused carbon rings.

Phospholipid

An amphipathic lipid composed of glycerol, two fatty acids, and a phosphate group, serving as the major component of cell membranes.

Amphipathic Entity

A molecule or structure that possesses both hydrophobic and hydrophilic components.

Cuticle

A thin, wax-rich covering that covers almost all plant surfaces exposed to air.

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)

Known as 'good' cholesterol, a particle that absorbs excess cholesterol and carries it to the liver for removal.

Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL)

Known as 'bad' cholesterol, a particle whose elevated levels lead to cholesterol accumulation in arterial walls.

Polypeptide

A polymer of protein composed of a chain of amino acid monomers.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The primary information-bearing nucleic acid of life, composed of deoxyribonucleotide monomers.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

A nucleic acid composed of ribonucleotide monomers that serves as a template for protein synthesis.

Gout

A painful arthritis condition resulting from the buildup and crystallization of high levels of uric acid in the joints.