Honors Biology Flashback Review Unit 1 & 2

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering organic molecules, enzymes, biogeochemical cycles, food webs, and cellular transport mechanisms from Honors Biology Units 1 and 2.

4 Organic Nutrient Molecules

The four types of organic molecules essential for life: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Monomers and Polymers

Monomers are the smaller building block molecules that join together to form larger, more complex structures called polymers.

Enzymes

A class of organic molecules (proteins) that function to speed up chemical reactions; their action is affected by factors such as temperature and pH.

4 Biogeochemical Cycles

The cycles involving the movement of essential elements through the environment and living organisms, specifically the Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Water cycles.

Limiting Factor

A resource (such as fertilizer) that, when added in large amounts to a lake, can significantly alter the ecosystem's balance.

Food Webs

Models that show the flow of energy and the interconnected feeding relationships between organisms at various levels, including producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Energy Pyramids

Diagrams that represent the amount of energy available at each trophic level of a food web, showing the decline in energy as it moves upward.

Covalent Bonding

A type of chemical bonding involving the sharing of electrons; used to form lipids from glycerol and fatty acids.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical process that joins molecules together by releasing a water molecule ($H_2O$).

Hydrolysis

A chemical process used to break down organic molecules by adding a water molecule ($H_2O$).

Saturated and Unsaturated Fats

Types of lipids distinguished by their chemical structure, health effects, and whether they originate from animal or plant sources.

Ionic Bonding

A type of chemical bonding involving the exchange or distribution of electrons, which leads to the creation of ions.

pH

A measure of acidity or alkalinity; determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions which defines whether a substance is an acid or a base.

Polar Molecule

A molecule, like water, with an uneven distribution of charge, which explains properties such as cohesion, surface tension, and transpiration.

Passive Transport

The movement of substances across a cell membrane without the use of energy; examples include diffusion and osmosis.

Active Transport

The movement of substances across a cell membrane that requires the use of energy and often involves transport proteins.

Bulk Movement

The transport of large quantities of materials into or out of a cell through processes like exocytosis and endocytosis.

Pinocytosis

A specific type of endocytosis characterized by the cell engulfing liquid substances, often referred to as 'cell drinking'.

Phagocytosis

A specific type of endocytosis characterized by the cell engulfing large particles or solids, often referred to as 'cell eating'.

Hypotonic Solution

A solution surrounding a cell that has a lower solute concentration than the inside of the cell, leading to water entering the cell.

Hypertonic Solution

A solution surrounding a cell that has a higher solute concentration than the inside of the cell, leading to water leaving the cell.

Isotonic Solution

A solution surrounding a cell where the solute concentration is equal to the concentration inside the cell.

Plasmolysis

The process in which the cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall due to water loss in a hypertonic environment.

Cytolysis

The bursting of a cell caused by an excessive intake of water in a hypotonic environment.

Turgor Pressure

The internal pressure exerted by water against the cell wall in plant cells, helping to maintain structure.

Dynamic Equilibrium

A state of balance where molecules move across a membrane at equal rates, resulting in no net change in concentration.

Cell Membrane Bilayer

The double-layered structure of the cell membrane that makes it selectively permeable to different substances.

Cell Walls

Rigid outer layers found in certain organisms that provide support and play a specific role in transport.

Central Vacuoles

Large organelles in some organisms that function in transport and play a role in photosynthesis.

Contractile Vacuoles

Organelles found in certain organisms (like Protista) used to pump out excess water to maintain life and homeostasis.

$$C_6H_{12}O_6$$

The chemical formula for glucose, used in transport labs to demonstrate osmotic effects at various concentrations.