Unit 1 Biochemistry and Metabolism vocabulary

Matter

Anything that takes up space and has mass.

Element

Substance that cannot be broken down to other substances through chemical reactions. Each has a symbol. 92 occurring in nature.

Compound

Substance consisting of two or more different elements combined in a fixed ratio.

*Characteristics different than those of its elements

Atom

Smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element. Composed of subatomic particles. Mostly empty space.

Subatomic particles

Neutrons, protons, electrons. Make up atoms.

Proton

One unit of positive charge. Approximately one dalton. Located in nucleus.

Electron

One unit of negative charge. Located outside of nucleus.

Neutrons

Electrically neutral. Approximately one dalton.

Atomic Number

The number of protons (which is unique to that element) and written as a subscript to left of element symbol. Also tells us number of electrons since P=E if atom is neutral

Mass Number

Sum of the protons and the neutrons. An approximation of the atomic mass.

Isotopes

Same number of protons, but different number of neutrons and therefore different mass. Same element.

Radioactive Isotope

One in which the nucleus decays spontaneously, giving off particles and energy. Can decay to a different element. Have useful applications.

Energy

Capacity to cause change

Potential Energy

Energy matter possesses because of its location or structure. Electrons have this based on distance from nucleus.

Electron Shells

Where electrons are found, each with characteristic average distance and energy level. Electrons can change these by absorbing or losing energy.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outermost shell.

Chemical Bonds

The attraction that holds atoms together during an interaction.

Covalent Bond

Sharing of a pair of valence electrons by two atoms.

Molecule

Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.

Single Bond

One pair of shared electrons.

Double Bond

Sharing two pairs of valence electrons.

Electronegativity

The attraction of a particular kind of atom for the electrons of a covalent bond.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

Covalent bond in which electrons are shared equally.

Polar Covalent Bond

Where one atom is bonded to a more electronegative atom and the electrons of the bond are not shared equally.

Ionic Bonds

The attraction of cations and anions. The transfer of electrons creates ions which form an ionic bond.

Ion

A charged atom.

Cation

A positively charged atom.

Anion

A negatively charged atom.

Ionic Compounds

Or Salts. Compounds formed by ionic bonds.

Hydrogen Bond

When a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an electronegative atom is also attracted to another electronegative atom.

Reactants

The starting materials of a chemical reaction.

Products

The resulting material of a chemical reaction.

Equilibrium

The point at which the relative concentrations of the products and the reactants stop changing and offset one another exactly.

carbon

this atom has 4 electrons in valence shell and can form 4 covalent bonds with other atoms

hydrocarbon

An organic molecule consisting only of carbon and hydrogen.

isomer

One of several compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures and therefore different properties. The three types are structural, geometric, and enantiomers.

functional groups

A specific configuration of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules and involved in chemical reactions.

hydroxyl group

A chemical group consisting of an oxygen atom joined to a hydrogen atom. Molecules possessing this group are soluble in water and are called alcohols.

carboxyl group

A chemical group consisting of a single carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and also bonded to a hydroxyl group

amino group

A chemical group consisting of a nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms can act as a base in solution, accepting a hydrogen ion and acquiring a charge of 1⁺

phosphate group

A chemical group consisting of a phosphate atom bonded to four oxygen atoms; important in energy transfer.

Hydrolysis

Pocess that is the reverse of dehydration synthesis. In __________, or water breakage, the bond between monomers is broken by the addition of a water molecule.

Dehydration synthesis

Reaction in which two molecules are covalently bonded, with the loss of a water molecule

Polymers

Long molecules consisting of many similar or identical building blocks linked by covalent bonds.

Glycosidic linkage

In carbohydrates, monosaccharides are joined together in a covalent bond called __________ _______.

Monosaccharide

The monomer in a carbohydrate is a(n) ______________.

EX: Glucose

Disaccharide

Two monosaccharides covalently bonded form a ____________.

EX: Sucrose

Polysaccharide

Three or more monosaccharides linked together form a ______________.

Lipids

Cushioning of organs, insulation, and energy storage are three functions of ___________.

Glycerol; fatty acid chains

Triglyceride is composed of a ______ and three ____ _____ ______.

Unsaturated fats

Fats with one or more double covalent bonds, which is less likely to solidify and more flexible.

Phospholipid

Basic structural component of cell membranes, with a polar/hydrophilic head region and a nonpolar/hydrophobic tail region, giving membranes their selective permeability.

Steroid

Lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of hydrogen-fused rings.

Amino acid

The monomer in a protein is a(n) _____ ____.

Polypeptide

Many amino acids linked together in a chain.

Primary

At the _______ level of protein structure, a linear sequence of amino acids is joined by peptide bonds to form a polypeptide.

Secondary

At the _________ level of protein structure, hydrogen bonds form between the partial positive hydrogen atom of amine groups and the partial negative oxygen atom of carboxyl groups.

Tertiary

At the ________ level of protein structure, various chemical associations in precise regions of a polypeptide cause it to fold into a 3D shape that will determine its function.

Quaternary

At the __________ level of protein structure, 2 to 4 completely formed polypeptides combine.

Denaturation

Excessive heat or pH can cause ____________, in which a protein unravels and loses its native shape.

Nucleotides

Nucleic acids are composed of ___________.

Polynucleotide

The polymer in a nucleic acid is a(n) ______________.

Ribose

The sugar in RNA is ______.

deoxyribose

The sugar in DNA is ______.

A, T, C, G

The nitrogenous bases in DNA are ____.

A, U, C, G

The nitrogenous bases in RNA are ____.

Hydrogen

Nitrogenous bases in DNA and RNA form complementary base pairs by forming ____________ bonds.

sugars; phosphate groups

The backbone of DNA and RNA molecules is composed of alternating _____________ and ______________.

polar covalent

type of bond in water? Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen and the electrons of the polar bonds spend more time near oxygen thus, making oxygen more negativity charged and hydrogen more positively charged

Cohesion

holding a substance together

Adhesion

clinging of a substance to another

Capillary action

the attraction of the surface of a liquid to the surface of a solid, which causes the liquid to rise or fall

Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without assistance.

It occurs because of intermolecular forces between the liquid and surrounding solid surfaces.

If the diameter of the tube is sufficiently small, then the combination of surface tension (which is caused by cohesion within the liquid) and adhesive forces between the liquid and container wall act to propel the liquid.

When adhesion > cohesion, capillary action occurs.

Surface Tension

A measure of how difficult it is to break/stretch a surface

Kinetic Energy

energy of motion

Heat

total kinetic energy due to molecular motion

Calorie

amount of heat it takes to move 1 gram of substance 1 degree Celsius higher

Temperature

intensity of heat due to average kinetic energy

Specific heat capacity

amount of heat needed to be absorbed /lost to change the temperature by 1 degree Celsius

water has a high _____.

water

1 calorie/1 gram/I degree Celsius is the specific heat of ____.

Evaporative cooling

remains of a liquid cool down

vaporization

amount of heat needed to turn liquid into gas

evaporation

process of liquid becoming gas

solution

liquid completely homogeneous of two or more substances

solvent

dissolving agent

solute

substance dissolved

aqueous solution

water is solvent

hydrophobic

water hating substances

hydrophilic

water loving substances

acids

increase H+ concentration

bases

reduce H+ concentration

pH scale

measures concentration of H+ (scale from 1-14)