The Chemistry of Life

Flashcards covering chemical bonds, properties of water, macromolecule structures, and enzyme mechanics based on the lecture transcript.

What is an atom?

The basic unit of matter.

What are the three subatomic particles and their respective charges?

Protons (positive), neutrons (neutral), and electrons (negative).

How are elements arranged on the periodic table?

By atomic number.

What is a compound, and what are two examples given in the notes?

A combination of 2 or more elements. Examples include water ($H_2O$) and salt ($NaCl$).

What is the difference between ionic bonds and covalent bonds?

Ionic bonds involve the transfer of electrons, while covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons.

What causes water to be a polar molecule?

It has partial positive and partial negative charges.

What is cohesion and what does it create in water?

Cohesion is water molecules sticking together, which creates surface tension.

What is adhesion and what visible effect does it cause in vessels?

Adhesion is water sticking to other things, which causes a curve in vessels.

How is heat capacity defined in the context of water properties?

The amount of energy required to change temperature as water absorbs heat.

What are solutes and solvents in a solution?

A solute is the substance that dissolves, and a solvent is the liquid that dissolves it to create a solution.

Why does frozen water (ice) float on liquid water?

Solid/frozen water is less dense than liquid water.

What are the four main biomolecules/macromolecules found in living things?

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

What are the monomers and polymers of carbohydrates?

The monomers are monosaccharides (simple sugars like glucose), and the polymers are polysaccharides (starches).

What are the functions of glycogen, starch, and cellulose?

Glycogen is energy storage in animals, starch is energy storage in plants, and cellulose provides structural support in plants.

What are the monomers, polymers, and functions of nucleic acids?

The monomers are nucleotides, the polymers are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid), and their function is information storage.

What elements make up carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids?

Carbohydrates and Lipids contain CHO; Proteins contain CHON; Nucleic acids contain CHONP.

What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated lipids at room temperature?

Saturated lipids are solid, whereas unsaturated lipids are liquid (e.g., olive oil).

What are the monomer building blocks of proteins and what holds them together?

Amino acids are the monomers, and they are joined together by peptide bonds.

What specific example of a protein is mentioned in the transcript?

Hemoglobin.

How do enzymes function in living cells?

They act like biological scissors to break things down and speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy.

What word ending typically signifies that a molecule is an enzyme?

Any word that ends in -ase (e.g., lactase).

What is the active site on an enzyme?

The lock-and-key location where the substrate binds.

What is activation energy?

The minimum amount of energy needed for a chemical reaction to take place.