Biochemistry, Macromolecules, and Enzyme Kinetics

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes covering biochemical concepts, water properties, macromolecules, and enzyme performance.

Cellulose

An example of a polysaccharide molecule.

Hydrophobic

A property describing nonpolar substances, such as oil, that do not mix well with polar substances like vinegar.

Hydrophilic

A property describing polar or charged substances, such as vinegar, that interact favorably with water.

Catalase

An enzyme that accelerates the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

Activation Energy

The minimum energy required to initiate a chemical reaction, which is higher in the absence of a biological catalyst.

Estrogen

An example of a steroid lipid molecule.

High Specific Heat

A property of water requiring large amounts of heat energy to alter its temperature, helping coastal regions maintain milder climates.

Nitrogen

An example of a pure chemical element.

Negative Charge (Anion)

The electrical condition of an atom that possesses more electrons than protons.

Beryllium

An element with an atomic mass of $9$ and an atomic number of $4$, containing $4$ protons.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms, such as the intramolecular bonds within a water molecule.

Polar Molecule

A molecule with asymmetrical charge distribution, such as water where the oxygen atom holds a slight negative charge and the hydrogen atoms hold slight positive charges.

Control Group

A baseline benchmark in an experiment where the independent variable is omitted, such as plants grown in soil without earthworms.

Adhesion

The attraction between water molecules and different polar surfaces, causing raindrops to cling to glass windows.

Surface Tension

An elastic surface property generated by intermolecular hydrogen bonding between water molecules that enables organisms like water striders to sit on water.

Brown Paper Test

A qualitative food indicator test used to detect the presence of lipids.

Biuret's Reagent

A chemical indicator that turns from blue to purple in the presence of proteins.

Dehydration Synthesis

A condensation reaction that joins monomer molecules together—such as forming a peptide bond between amino acids—by releasing a molecule of water.

Urease

An enzyme used to catalyze the breakdown of urea.

Urea

An organic compound featuring both amino and carbonyl functional groups.

Carboxyl Group

An acidic functional group denoted as $\text{-COOH}$, present in fatty acid chains.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid chain that contains one or more $\text{C=C}$ double bonds in its hydrocarbon structure.

Lipid

A class of hydrophobic biological macromolecules containing triglycerides, with common examples such as butter.

Protein

A biological macromolecule composed of amino acid monomers, found abundantly in meat and beans.

Carbohydrate

A macromolecule constructed from one or more monosaccharides, with common examples including sucrose.

Nucleic Acid

A macromolecule constructed from nucleotide monomer subunits.

Optimal pH

The specific hydrogen ion concentration at which an enzyme maintains its maximum catalytic rate, such as pH $7$ with an activity of $100\,\text{mol/min}$.