Biochemistry - Unit 2 [A&P]

Atom

the basic unit of a chemical element.

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances

Molecule

two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds

Compound

A substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds

Isotope

Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond resulting from the attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed when two atoms share electrons

Hydrogen Bond

Attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen atom and a slightly negative atom.

Organic

of, relating to, or derived from living matter.

Inorganic

Does not contain carbon

Acid

more H+ ions than water

Base

more OH- ions than water

Carbohydrates

the starches and sugars present in foods

Proteins

Chains of amino acids

Lipids

Energy-rich organic compounds, such as fats, oils, and waxes, that are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Nucleic Acid

a complex organic substance present in living cells, especially DNA or RNA, whose molecules consist of many nucleotides linked in a long chain.

Electrolyte

An ionic compound whose aqueous solution conducts an electric current

Monomer

A simple compound whose molecules can join together to form polymers

Polymer

A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together.

Monosaccharides

Single sugar molecules

glucose, fructose, galactose

Diasaccharides

A sugar molecule consisting of two monosaccharides linked by dehydration synthesis. Maltose, Lactose, Sucrose and Fructose.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates that are made up of more than two monosaccharides

Saturated Fat

fat in which all three fatty acid chains contain the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms

Unsaturated fat

A fat that is liquid at room temperature and found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds and made from fatty acids that have at least one double bond between carbon atoms.

Nucleotide

monomer of nucleic acids made up of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base; building block of DNA

Amino Acid

Building blocks of protein

Enzyme

a substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.

Catalyst

substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction

Phospholipids

a lipid consisting of a glycerol bound to two fatty acids and a phosphate group.

Triglycerides

an energy-rich compound made up of a single molecule of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acid.

Fatty Acids

unbranched carbon chains that make up most lipids

Steroid

A type of lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four rings with various functional groups attached.

Metabolism

the combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials

Anabolism

Constructive metabolism; the process of building up larger molecules from smaller ones.

Catabolism

Metabolic pathways that break down molecules, releasing energy.

Synthesis Reaction

a reaction in which two or more substances combine to form a new compound

Decomposition Reaction

a reaction in which a single compound breaks down to form two or more simpler substances

Displacement Reaction

a reaction in which one element replaces a similar element in a compound

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

A chemical process that splits a molecule by adding water.

Synthesis

combination