General Biology BIOL151 Unit 1 Flashcards

100 vocabulary flashcards covering General Biology BIOL151 Unit 1 topics including experimental design, biological molecules, protein structure, and nucleic acids.

Control Group

A standard or baseline group in an experiment that is kept unexposed to the experimental treatment for comparison.

Eukaryote

An organism consisting of a cell or cells containing a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles.

Evolution

The process of change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Hypothesis

A testable and falsifiable explanation proposed for a scientific observation or phenomenon.

Phylogenetic Tree

A diagram showing the evolutionary relationships and lines of descent among various biological species or entities.

Prokaryote

A single-celled organism that lacks a distinct nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Scientific Method

A systematic approach to research that includes observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, and analysis of results.

Carbohydrate

A biological macromolecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, functioning as a primary energy source and structural component.

Cellulose

A tough, insoluble polysaccharide forming the primary structural component of plant cell walls.

Starch

A storage polysaccharide produced by plants to store excess energy.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate polymer consisting of two monosaccharide units joined together by a glycosidic bond.

Glucose

A hexose monosaccharide that serves as a primary energy source for cellular respiration.

Glycogen

A highly branched polysaccharide used by animal cells to store glucose.

Glycosidic Bond

A type of covalent bond that joins a carbohydrate molecule to another group or molecule, such as between monosaccharides.

Hexose

A monosaccharide sugar containing six carbon atoms per molecule.

Monosaccharide

The simplest unit of carbohydrate structure, consisting of a single sugar monomer.

Oligosaccharide

A carbohydrate polymer composed of a small number of monosaccharide units, typically 3 to 10.

Pentose

A monosaccharide sugar containing five carbon atoms per molecule.

Polysaccharide

A long-chain carbohydrate polymer made up of many monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds.

Glycerol

A three-carbon alcohol molecule that forms the backbone of triglycerides and phospholipids.

Phospholipid

A lipid constituent of cell membranes, composed of two fatty acid tails and a phosphate head attached to a glycerol backbone.

Ester Linkage

The covalent bond formed between a hydroxyl group and a carboxyl group, linking fatty acids to glycerol in lipids.

Fatty Acid

A long hydrocarbon chain terminating in a carboxyl group, serving as a building block for lipids.

Hydrocarbon Tail

The hydrophobic chain of carbon and hydrogen atoms present in fatty acids and phospholipids.

Hydrophobic

Tending to repel or fail to mix with water; nonpolar in nature.

Hydrophilic

Having an affinity for water; capable of interacting with or dissolving in polar water molecules.

Lipid

A diverse group of nonpolar hydrophobic biomolecules, including fats, phospholipids, and steroids.

Saturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid possessing no double bonds between carbon atoms in its hydrocarbon tail, saturated with hydrogen atoms.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

A fatty acid with one or more double bonds in its hydrocarbon tail, creating kinks in its structure.

Triglyceride

A lipid composed of three fatty acid molecules esterified to a single glycerol molecule.

Alpha Helix

A common coiled secondary structure of proteins formed by hydrogen bonding along the polypeptide backbone.

Amino Group

A functional group consisting of a nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms ($-\text{NH}_2$).

Amino Acids

The monomeric building blocks of proteins, consisting of a central carbon, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable R-group.

Beta Pleated Sheet

A protein secondary structure characterized by folded sheet-like strands held together by backbone hydrogen bonds.

Carboxyl Group

A functional group consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and single-bonded to a hydroxyl group ($-\text{COOH}$).

C-terminus

The end of an amino acid chain or polypeptide terminating in a free carboxyl group.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed when electrons are shared between atoms.

Cysteine

An amino acid containing a sulfur-bearing thiol side chain capable of forming disulfide linkages.

Dehydration Reaction

A chemical reaction in which two monomers are covalently bonded together with the simultaneous loss of a water molecule.

Denaturation

The process in which a protein loses its native shape and structural integrity, leading to a loss of biological function.

Disulfide Linkage

A covalent bond formed between the sulfur atoms of two cysteine side chains in a polypeptide.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst, usually a protein, that accelerates chemical reactions without being consumed.

Functional Group

A specific arrangement of atoms within a molecule that imparts characteristic chemical properties and reactivity.

Hydrolysis Reaction

A chemical reaction that breaks a covalent bond in a polymer by adding a molecule of water.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak non-covalent attraction between a partially positive hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom like oxygen or nitrogen.

Macromolecule

A large, complex biological molecule formed by the polymerization of smaller subunit monomers.

Monomer

A small molecular subunit that can covalently bind to other identical or similar units to form a polymer.

N-terminus

The starting end of a polypeptide chain terminating in a free amino group.

Peptide Bond

The covalent bond formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another through dehydration.

Polymer

A large molecule consisting of many repeating monomer units linked together by covalent bonds.

Polypeptide

A continuous polymer chain composed of multiple amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds.

Primary Structure

The unique, linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

Product

A substance or molecule produced at the completion of a chemical reaction.

Proteins

Functional biomolecules consisting of one or more polypeptide chains folded into specific three-dimensional structures.

Quaternary Structure

The structural level resulting from the arrangement and interaction of multiple polypeptide subunits in a multi-subunit protein.

R-group / Side Chain

The variable chemical group attached to the central carbon of an amino acid that determines its unique characteristics.

Reactant

A starting substance that undergoes change during a chemical reaction.

Secondary Structure

Localized folding patterns within a polypeptide chain, primarily alpha helices and beta pleated sheets, stabilized by hydrogen bonds.

Tertiary Structure

The overall three-dimensional shape of a single polypeptide chain, stabilized by interactions among R-groups.

Chaperone

A protein that assists in the proper folding and conformational assembly of other proteins.

3ʹ Carbon

The carbon atom in the sugar ring of a nucleotide attached to a hydroxyl group

5ʹ Carbon

The carbon atom in the sugar ring attached to the phosphate group

Adenine (A)

A purine nitrogenous base found in both DNA and RNA that pairs with thymine or uracil.

Antiparallel

The arrangement of the two complementary strands of a DNA double helix running parallel to each other but in opposite directions.

Base Pairing

Specific hydrogen bonding between complementary nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids.

Complementary Strand

A nucleic acid strand whose nucleotide sequence precisely pairs with another strand according to base-pairing rules.

Cytosine (C)

A pyrimidine nitrogenous base found in both DNA and RNA that pairs with guanine.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

A double-stranded nucleic acid that stores hereditary genetic information using deoxyribonucleotide monomers.

Deoxyribonucleotide

The monomeric subunit of DNA, consisting of a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Guanine (G)

A purine nitrogenous base found in both DNA and RNA that pairs with cytosine.

Nitrogenous Base

An organic base molecule containing nitrogen that forms part of a nucleotide.

Nucleic Acid

A macromolecule polymer made of nucleotide monomers, specialized for storing, transmitting, and expressing genetic information.

Nucleotide

The monomer unit of nucleic acids, comprising a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Phosphodiester Linkage

The covalent bond connecting the 3' carbon of one nucleotide sugar to the 5' carbon of another via a phosphate group.

Purine

A category of nitrogenous bases characterized by a two-ring structure, including adenine and guanine.

Pyrimidine

A category of nitrogenous bases characterized by a single six-membered ring structure, including cytosine, thymine, and uracil.

Hydroxyl Group

A functional group consisting of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an oxygen atom ($-\text{OH}$).

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

A single-stranded nucleic acid composed of ribonucleotides involved in protein synthesis and biological functions.

Ribonucleotide

The monomeric subunit of RNA, containing a ribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Ribose

The five-carbon pentose sugar found in ribonucleotides and RNA molecules.

Ribozyme

An RNA molecule with enzymatic or catalytic activity capable of facilitating biological chemical reactions.

RNA World Hypothesis

The theory proposing that early life forms relied on RNA both for genetic information storage and catalytic activity.

Sugar–Phosphate Backbone

The alternating chain of sugar and phosphate groups in a nucleic acid strand bonded together by phosphodiester linkages.

Thymine (T)

A pyrimidine nitrogenous base unique to DNA that pairs with adenine.

Uracil (U)

A pyrimidine nitrogenous base unique to RNA that pairs with adenine.

Basic Science

Scientific research aimed at expanding fundamental knowledge without immediate application or commercial goal.

Applied Science

Scientific research focused on solving real-world practical problems using established knowledge.

Levels of Organization

The hierarchical ordering of biological systems from molecules and cells up to organisms and ecosystems.

Micropipette

A precision laboratory tool used to measure and transfer tiny volumes of liquid accurately.

Scientific Notation

A method of expressing numbers as a coefficient multiplied by ten raised to a power, such as $a \times 10^b$.

Condensation Reaction

Another term for a dehydration reaction where two functional groups unite with the loss of a small molecule like water.

Experimental Design

The plan or setup of an experiment to ensure valid, unbiased, and reliable testing of a hypothesis.

Metric System Units

Standard units of measurement used in science, including meters, grams, and liters with decimal prefixes.

DNA Structure Levels

The structural hierarchy of DNA, ranging from primary nucleotide sequences to secondary double-helix structures.

RNA Structure Levels

The structural hierarchy of RNA, including primary sequence, secondary hairpins or loops, and tertiary folded shapes.

BioSkills

Practical laboratory, quantitative, and analytical techniques required for biological studies.

BIOL151

General Biology course designation covering fundamental concepts of life, biological molecules, and experimental design.

Unsaturation

The presence of double or triple bonds between carbon atoms in a molecule such as a fatty acid.

Monomer-Polymer Relationship

The relationship where small individual building blocks link together to construct larger macromolecular chains.

Folded Structure Function

The biological principle that a protein's specific three-dimensional folded conformation directly dictates its active function.