the components of life

02/04/2023

atom

the smallest portion of an element found in the periodic chart; examples include carbon, oxygen, gold

biomolecule

an organic molecule produced by a living organism

chemical bond

a connection made between atoms when electrons are attached, shared, or transferred

condensation reaction (dehydration synthesis)

a chemical reaction that combines smaller molecules and forms water as a byproduct; the reaction is often used to form polymers

covalent bond

a chemical bond formed when elements share electrons

hydrolysis reaction

a chemical reaction between water and another molecule that breaks down the molecule into simpler molecules; the reaction splits a water molecule to break apart a polymer into monomers

inorganic molecule

a molecule that is not organic; most (but not all) do not include carbon; examples include water (H2O), ammonia (NH3), and carbon dioxide (CO2)

ion

an electrically charged "atom" that has either gained or lost electrons

ionic bond

a chemical bond formed when elements transfer (donate or accept) electrons

macromolecules (macronutrients)

the large biomolecules that make up living organisms; include proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids

molecule

a chemical combination of two or more atoms that forms a separate substance; for example, one molecule of water (H2O) is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom

monomer

a small molecule taht may be chemically bonded to other like molecules to forma polymer

organic molecules

carbon-containing molecules that are generally associated with living organisms

polymer

a long chain of monomers (small, repeating molecules)

polymerization

the chemical process of combining monomers to forma polymer; often uses condensation reactions

carbohydrate

an organic molecule made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; used as a source of energy and gives structure to some types of cells

cellulose

a polysaccharide used in the cell walls of plants to give cells structural support

chitin

a polysaccharide that contains nitrogen groups; used to strength the exoskeletons of crustaceans and insects and the cell walls of many kinds of fungi

disaccharide

a polymer of two simple sugars combined into one molecule

glucose

a monosaccharide produced by plants during photosynthesis; main source of energy for cells

monosaccharide

a simple sugar

polysaccharide

a polymer of sugar, meaning a long chain of sugar molecules chemically linked together

saccharide

another name for "sugar" or for a sugar polymer

starch

a polysaccharide made by plants to store energy

cholesterol

a type of steroid used in cell membranes and also used to make steroid hormones

fat

a ty[pe of lipid used to store energy and a source of fatty acids

fatty acid

an organic acid that contains a long chain of hydrocarbons (carbon atoms bonded to other carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms)

hydrophilic

"water-loving"

hydrophobic

"water-hating"

lipids

organic molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but unlike carbohydrates, they do not dissolve in water

monounsaturated fat

a fat that has one double carbon-to-carbon bond

phospholipid

a type of lipid that helps to make up cell membranes

polyunsaturated fat

a fat that has more than one double carbon-to-carbon bond

saturated fat

a fat that has all single carbon-to-carbon bonds and the maximum number of hydrogens attached to each carbon

steroid

a type of lipid that can be present in cell membranes or can make up certain hormones

wax

a type of lipid that is used to waterproof leaves, skin, feathers

amino acids

organic molecules that are building blocks of protein

nitrogen

an element found in amino acids and proteins but NOT typically found in carbohydrates or fats

peptide bond

the bond between each amino acid in a protein

polypeptide

a chain of amino acids

protein

an organic molecule with many important functions; the main structural component of muscle, skin, bone, etc

activation energy

the energy needed for a chemical reaction to take place

active site

the part of an enzyme that "attaches to" a substrate

catalyst

a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in teh reacton

denature

to change the structure of a protein so that it no longer functions in the same way

enzyme

a biological catalyst that enables chemical reactions to take place in cells

enzyme-substrate complex

the structure that is formed when a substrate binds to the active site of an enzyme

pH

a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance

substrate

a substance that is changed by an enzyme

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

a nucleic acid molecule made up of two long strands of nucleotides in the shape of a double helix that contains deoxyribose sugar and that stores genetic information

double helix

the shape, similar to a twisted ladder, of a DNA molecule

nucleic acid

an organic molecule that contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus and makes up RNA and DNA

nucleotide

a molecule that contains a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base and that links together to form RNA and DNA

phosphate

a group of atoms that contains phosphorus and oxygen; makes up a part of nucleic acids

ribonucleic acid (RNA)

a nucleic acid molecule that contains ribose sugar

carbohydrate | types/structure

monosaccharides

polysaccharides

carbohydrate | main functions

primary source of energy; structural component of plant cell walls

carbohydrate | common elements

carbohydrate, hydrogen, oxygen (C, H, O)

lipid | types/structure

fats (glycerol + 3 fatty acids)

fats (glycerol + 3 fatty acids) | main function

energy storage (long-term)

phospholipids (phosphate group, glycerol, 2 fatty acids) | main function

major component of cell membrane

steroids (4 carbon wings) | main function

regulate several essential biological processes; form certain hormones

waxes | main function

waterproof covering

lipid | common elements

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen (C, H, O)

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(phospholipids also contain phosphorus and nitrogen)

protein | types/structures

chains of amino acids

protein | main functions

major component of muscle; form enzymes; form certain hormones; serve as antibodies; transport and store substances

protein | common elements

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen (C, H, O, N)

nucleic acid | types/structure

DNA (phosphate group, deoxyribose sugar, nitrogenous base)

RNA (phosphate group, ribose sugar, nitrogenous base)

DNA | main function

genetic information storage

RNA | main function

protein synthesis

nucleic acid | common elements

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus (C, H, O, N, P)