Chapter 2: Chemical Basis of Life Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental chemistry, subatomic particles, chemical bonding, reactions, solutions, and key biological macromolecules from Chapter 2.

Matter

Anything that takes up space and has mass, composed of elements in solid, liquid, or gas forms.

Mass

The amount of matter present in an object.

Weight

The heaviness of an object due to gravitational pull on its mass.

Chemistry

The branch of science that studies the composition, properties, and interactions of matter.

Biochemistry

Biological chemistry that studies physiological processes and disease at the chemical level.

Elements

The simplest types of matter with specific chemical properties, of which 92 occur naturally.

Compounds

Chemical combinations of two or more different elements.

Atoms

The smallest particles of an element that retain the chemical properties of that element.

Bulk Elements

Elements required by the human body in large amounts, including carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus.

Trace Elements

Elements required by the human body in small amounts, such as iron and iodine.

Ultratrace Elements

Elements required by the human body in very minute amounts, such as arsenic.

Protons

Relatively large subatomic particles located in the atomic nucleus that carry a single positive electrical charge.

Neutrons

Relatively large, uncharged (electrically neutral) subatomic particles located in the atomic nucleus.

Electrons

Extremely small, almost weightless subatomic particles in constant motion around the atomic nucleus that carry a single negative charge.

Ion

An electrically charged particle formed when an atom gains or loses one or more electrons.

Molecule

A particle formed by the chemical union of two or more atoms.

Atomic Number

The unique number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of a specific element.

Mass Number

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

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element that have identical atomic numbers (protons) but different mass numbers due to differing numbers of neutrons.

Ionizing Radiation

Energy forms (alpha, beta, and gamma) that remove electrons from atoms, creating damaging free electrons and ions.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.

Ionic Bonds

Strong chemical bonds formed by the attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Covalent Bonds

Strong chemical bonds formed between atoms that share pairs of electrons.

Structural Formulas

Diagrams showing how atoms bond and arrange within molecules, using lines to represent shared electron pairs.

Nonpolar Covalent Bonds

Covalent bonds in which shared electrons are pulled equally between atoms with identical electronegativity.

Polar Covalent Bonds

Covalent bonds in which electrons are shared unequally due to differences in atomic electronegativity, creating charged poles.

Hydrogen Bonds

Relatively weak attractions between the slightly positive hydrogen end of one polar molecule and the slightly negative nitrogen or oxygen end of another.

Reactants

The starting materials (atoms, ions, or molecules) involved in a chemical reaction.

Products

The substances formed at the conclusion of a chemical reaction.

Synthesis Reaction

A chemical reaction in which two or more reactants combine to form a more complex chemical structure.

Decomposition Reaction

A chemical reaction in which chemical bonds break to reduce a complex molecule into simpler structures.

Exchange Reaction

A reaction where chemical bonds break and new bonds form, exchanging components between molecules.

Reversible Reaction

A chemical reaction in which the formed products can react to regenerate the original reactants.

Electrolytes

Substances that release ions in water and form solutions capable of conducting an electric current.

Acids

Electrolytes that dissociate in water to release hydrogen ions ($H^+$).

Bases

Substances that release ions capable of binding with hydrogen ions.

Salts

Electrolytes produced by the neutralization reaction between an acid and a base.

pH Scale

A shorthand scale ranging from 0 to 14 measuring the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution.

Acidemia

A clinical condition where blood pH drops to between 7.0 and 7.3.

Alkalemia

A clinical condition where blood pH rises to between 7.5 and 7.8.

Buffers

Chemical systems that resist changes in pH by binding or releasing ions as necessary.

Organic Molecules

Carbon- and hydrogen-containing compounds that generally do not release ions and are non-electrolytes.

Inorganic Molecules

Compounds that generally lack carbon and hydrogen, usually dissolve and dissociate in water, and act as electrolytes.

Carbohydrates

Water-soluble organic compounds containing C, H, and O in roughly a 2:1 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen, acting as a primary energy source.

Monosaccharides

Single sugar carbohydrates, such as glucose and fructose.

Disaccharides

Double sugar carbohydrates formed from two monosaccharides, such as sucrose and lactose.

Polysaccharides

Complex carbohydrates built from chains of monosaccharides, including starch, glycogen, and cellulose.

Triglycerides

The most abundant lipids in the body, composed of 1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids, utilized for cellular energy.

Saturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acid molecules containing only single carbon-carbon bonds, typically solid at room temperature and derived from animal sources.

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acid molecules containing one or more carbon-carbon double bonds, usually liquid at room temperature and derived from plant sources.

Phospholipids

Lipid molecules containing 1 glycerol, 2 fatty acids, and a phosphate group, forming the structural foundation of cell membranes.

Steroids

Lipids consisting of four connected carbon rings, including cholesterol and various hormones.

Proteins

Complex organic molecules made of amino acid chains that function as structural materials, enzymes, hormones, antibodies, and receptors.

Amino Acids

The structural building blocks of proteins, consisting of an amino group ($-NH_2$), a carboxyl group ($-COOH$), and a variable R side chain.

Peptide Bonds

Covalent chemical bonds formed between the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another.

Denaturation

An alteration in the secondary and tertiary structure of a protein due to environmental factors like heat, pH changes, or chemicals.

Nucleic Acids

Molecules constructed from nucleotides that either store genetic instructions or participate in protein synthesis.

Nucleotides

The building blocks of nucleic acids, each composed of a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and an organic nitrogenous base.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

A double-stranded, helical nucleic acid containing deoxyribose sugar that encodes genetic information.

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

A single-stranded nucleic acid containing ribose sugar that interacts with DNA to synthesize proteins.