Unit 1 Vocabulary - Chemistry of Life

Protein

Protein

a molecule made of amino acids

Amino Acids

Monomers (building blocks) of proteins

Peptide Bond

covalent linkage between peptides to form a poly peptide

Polypeptide

a polymer made of peptides

DNA

genetic inheritance polymer - Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid

hydrophilic

Having an affinity for water.

Hydrophobic

Having an aversion to water; tending to coalesce and form droplets in water.

Denaturation

proteins or enzymes, lose their specific shape, and changes its function

Nucleotide

monomer of nucleic acids made up of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base

Antiparallel

The opposite arrangement of the sugar-phosphate backbones in a DNA double helix.

Hydroxyl Group

-OH

Amino Group

-NH2

saturated fatty acid

a long-chain hydrocarbon with single covalent bonds in the carbon chain; the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon skeleton is maximized

Primary Structure

The first level of protein structure; the specific sequence of amino acids making up a polypeptide chain.

Secondary Structure

The second level of protein structure; the regular local patterns of coils or folds of a polypeptide chain.

Tertiary Structure

The third level of protein structure; the overall, three-dimensional shape of a polypeptide due to interactions of the R groups of the amino acids making up the chain.

Quaternary structure

The fourth level of protein structure; the shape resulting from the association of two or more polypeptide subunits.

Purine

a nitrogenous base that has a double-ring structure; one of the two general categories of nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA; either adenine or guanine

Pyrimidine

a nitrogenous base that has a single-ring structure; one of the two general categories of nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA; thymine, cytosine, or uracil

peptide

short chain of amino acids

Lipids

Energy-rich organic compounds, such as fats, oils, and waxes, that are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Functional Groups

chemical groups attached to carbon skeletons that give compounds their reactivity

Dehydration Reaction

A chemical reaction in which molecules combine by removing water

Hydrolysis

Breaking down complex molecules by the chemical addition of water

Macromolecules

A very large organic molecule composed of many smaller molecules. Ex. Carb, Protein, Nucleic Acids