Chemistry of Life & Properties of Water

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the 'Chemistry of Life' unit, including macromolecules (carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids) and the properties of water.

Carbohydrates

Macromolecules composed of C, H, & O in a 1:2:1 ratio; their monomer is a monosaccharide.

Monosaccharide

The monomer of carbohydrates, examples include Glucose, Fructose, and Galactose.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates composed of two monosaccharides linked by a glycosidic linkage, examples include Sucrose, Lactose, and Maltose.

Glycosidic Linkage

The bond between monosaccharides in carbohydrates.

Cellulose

A structural carbohydrate found in plant cell walls, formed by 1-4 linkages of beta glucose monomers.

Chitin

A structural carbohydrate found in fungi cell walls and the exoskeleton of arthropods.

Starch

A storage carbohydrate found in plants, formed by 1-4 linkages of alpha glucose monomers.

Glycogen

A storage carbohydrate found in animals.

Proteins

Macromolecules composed of C, H, O, N, & S; their monomer is an amino acid.

Amino Acid

The monomer of proteins, characterized by an amino group, carboxyl group, hydrogen atom, and an R group attached to a central carbon.

Peptide Bond

The bond that links amino acids together in proteins, formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another.

Primary Protein Structure

The linear sequence of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.

Secondary Protein Structure

Folded structures like alpha helices or beta pleated sheets, formed by hydrogen bonds between the protein backbone.

Tertiary Protein Structure

The final 3D structure of a single polypeptide chain, formed by various bonds (hydrogen, covalent, ionic) between R groups.

Quaternary Protein Structure

The structure formed by the interaction of R groups from different polypeptide chains.

Nucleic Acids

Macromolecules composed of C, H, O, N, & P; their monomer is a nucleotide.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, consisting of a phosphate group, a pentose sugar, and a nitrogenous base.

Phosphodiester Linkage

The bond that links nucleotides together in nucleic acids, formed between a phosphate group and a hydroxyl group.

Purine

A type of nitrogenous base with a double-ring structure, including Adenine (A) and Guanine (G).

Pyrimidine

A type of nitrogenous base with a single-ring structure, including Cytosine (C), Uracil (U), and Thymine (T).

DNA

A nucleic acid containing nitrogenous bases A, T, C, G; has deoxyribose sugar; is double-stranded and antiparallel, with A pairing with T, and C pairing with G.

RNA

A nucleic acid containing nitrogenous bases A, U, C, G; has ribose sugar; and is single-stranded.

Lipids

Macromolecules composed of C, H, O, and sometimes P (in phospholipids); all are nonpolar.

Fats

Lipids composed of glycerol and three fatty acids.

Phospholipids

Lipids composed of glycerol, two fatty acids, and a phosphate group; are amphipathic with a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid containing only single bonds between carbon atoms, meaning each carbon is saturated with hydrogen.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid containing at least one double bond between carbon atoms, meaning not all carbons are saturated with hydrogen.

Steroids

A class of lipids characterized by four fused carbon rings.

Polar Covalent Bonds (water)

Bonds formed between oxygen and hydrogen atoms within a single water molecule.

Hydrogen Bonds (water)

Weak bonds formed between the partial negative oxygen of one water molecule and the partial positive hydrogen of another water molecule.

Cohesion

The attraction of water molecules to other water molecules.

Adhesion

The attraction of water molecules to other polar substances.

Capillary Action

The movement of water up a narrow tube due to the combined effects of cohesion and adhesion.

Less Dense when Solid

The property of water that causes ice to float, due to hydrogen bonds inhibiting compaction.

Universal Solvent

Water's ability to dissolve many polar and ionic substances due to its polarity, forming bonds with partial positive and negative ends.

High Specific Heat

The property of water requiring a large amount of energy to be absorbed or released to change its temperature by 1°C, acting as a temperature buffer.

Surface Tension

A measure of the force required to break the surface of a liquid, caused by the strong cohesion of water molecules at the surface.

Evaporative Cooling

The process by which an organism cools down by releasing water on its surface, as the water absorbs heat energy to break bonds and evaporate.

pH

A measure of the hydrogen ion concentration (-log[H+]), where a higher concentration means a lower pH.

Covalent Bonds (glucose)

The type of bonds holding together the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in a glucose molecule.

Hydrolysis (DNA)

An enzymatic process that breaks covalent bonds between sugars and phosphates/nucleotides along the DNA backbone.