Exam 1 Study Guide: Chemistry of Life, Water, and Transport

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing fundamental concepts of atoms, chemical bonding, water chemistry, and transport mechanisms based on Exam 1 Study Guide.

Atom

The basic unit of a chemical element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Element

A pure chemical substance consisting of a single type of atom characterized by its atomic number.

Ion

An atom or group of atoms that has acquired an electric charge by gaining or losing one or more electrons.

Proton

A positively charged subatomic particle present in the atomic nucleus.

Neutron

A subatomic particle located in the atomic nucleus that carries no electrical charge.

Electron

A negatively charged subatomic particle orbiting the atomic nucleus.

Atomic Number

The number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom, identifying the element.

Atomic Mass

The total mass of protons, neutrons, and electrons in a single atom.

Valence Electrons

The electrons located in the outermost electron shell of an atom that participate in chemical bonding.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond formed through the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.

Electronegativity

A measure of an atom's ability to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond.

Polar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are shared unequally due to a difference in electronegativity between the atoms.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are shared equally between two atoms with similar electronegativities.

Lewis Structure

A diagrammatic representation of a molecule showing valence electrons as dots and bonds as lines.

Hydrogen Bond

An attractive intermolecular interaction between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom.

Hydrophilic

Describing a substance that interacts readily with or dissolves in water due to polarity or charge.

Hydrophobic

Describing a nonpolar substance that repels and fails to dissolve in water.

Solute

A substance that is dissolved in a solvent to form a solution.

Solvent

The liquid or substance in which a solute is dissolved to make a solution.

Concentration Gradient

The gradual change in the concentration of a solute across a distance or membrane.

Diffusion

The passive net movement of particles down a concentration gradient from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration.

Osmosis

The net movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to higher solute concentration.

Dialysis

A transport process involving the separation of molecules in solution across a semipermeable membrane based on diffusion rates.