Unit 1: Chemistry of Life

What are nucleic acids essential for?

Storage and transmission of genetic information in living organisms.

What is cholesterol essential for?

Helping in membrane fluidity and producing certain hormones in the body.

What are carbohydrates?

Organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

What is hemoglobin?

A molecule in the blood that helps distribute oxygen to the tissues in the body.

What is hydrolysis?

When water is introduces and polymers are broken down into monomers.

What is a monosaccharide?

The simplest form of carbohydrate, consisting of a single sugar molecule.

What structure does DNA have?

A double helix structure made of nucleotides containing adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

What are monomers?

The individual building blocks of a polymers.

What do hydrogen ions indicate about a solution?

Whether it is acidic, basic, or neutral.

What are electrons?

Negatively charged (-) particles.

What are RNA's essential functions?

Essential for protein synthesis.

What are protons?

Positively charged (+) particles.

What are neutrons?

Neutral particles that do not carry any electric charge.

What are polymers?

Chains of building blocks in macromolecules.

What is glucose's role?

An important part of the food we eat, and are produced by plants during photosynthesis.

What are amino acids?

Building blocks of proteins.

How does side chain polarity affect amino acids?

It affects whether an amino acid is more hydrophobic or more hydrophilic.

What is a polysaccharide?

A complex carbohydrate composed of multiple monosaccharide units linked together.

What makes a solution acidic?

A lot of hydrogen ions (H+).

What are atoms?

The unit of life and the building blocks of the physical world.

What does the pH scale represent?

A logarithmic representation of a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration.

What is an alpha helix?

A common secondary structure in proteins, characterized by a tightly coiled shape.

What are fatty acids?

Molecules that serve as building blocks of lipids.

What is a disaccharide?

A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharide molecules joined by a glycosidic bond.

What is a polypeptide?

A chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.

What is a triglyceride?

A type of lipid composed of three fatty acid molecules linked to a glycerol molecule.

What are lipids?

A diverse group of organic molecules that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar solvents.

What occurs in a covalent bond?

Formed when electrons are shared between atoms.

What does adhesion contribute to?

The property of water known as surface tension.

What are elements?

Pure substances that consist of only one type of atom.

What is cohesion?

The tendency of water molecules of the same substance to be attracted to each other.

What is a beta-plated sheet?

A protein secondary structure where adjacent amino acid chains align in a sheet-like formation.

What are phospholipids?

Lipid molecules composed of two fatty acid chains, a glycerol backbone, and a phosphate group.

What are the roles of proteins?

Serving as enzymes, providing structural support, and signaling in the body.

What is Dehydration Synthesis?

The joining of two molecules by the release of a water molecule.

What occurs during an ionic bond?

The joining of two elements by a transfer of electrons.