AP Bio U1 Vocab

Unit: Water and Intro to macro

Adhesion

The attraction between different types of molecules, occurring when molecules of one substance interact with molecules of another substance.

Amine Group

A functional group consisting of a nitrogen atom bonded to one or more hydrogen atoms, a main component of amino acids.

Calorie

A unit of measurement for energy, specifically the heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.

Capillary Action

The ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces against gravity due to intermolecular forces of adhesion and cohesion.

Carboxyl Group

A functional group -COOH that is part of an amino acid.

Cohesion

The attraction between molecules of the same substance, helping them stick together.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electron pairs between two atoms.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction where two molecules are joined together with the removal of

Evaporation

the process where liquid water turns into water vapor due to the addition of heat energy.

Heat of Fusion

the amount of energy required to change a substance from a solid to a liquid at its melting point

Heat of Vaporization

1.  the amount of energy required to convert a liquid into a gas at its boiling point.

Hydrogen Bond

a weak to moderate attractive force between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a more electronegative atom and another electronegative atom.

Hydrolysis

 a chemical reaction in which water breaks bonds between molecules, splitting them into smaller units.

Hydroxide Ion

(OH⁻) is a negatively charged ion made up of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom.

Monomer

a small molecule that can bond with other similar molecules to form a polymer.

Polar Covalent Bond

a type of chemical bond where electrons are shared unequally between two atoms, creating a molecule with partial positive and negative charges.

Polarity

the distribution of electrical charges over the atoms joined by a bond. Polar molecules have regions of partial positive and negative charges.

Polymer

a large molecule composed of repeating subunits called monomers.

Primary Structure

the unique sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain, held together by peptide bonds.

Quaternary Structure

the overall three-dimensional structure of a protein composed of multiple polypeptide chains or subunits, held together by hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, ionic interactions, disulfide bridges.

Saturated Fat

fatty acids where all carbon-carbon bonds are single bonds, leading to a straight chain that can pack tightly together that make them solid at room temperature.

Secondary Structure

local folding patterns like alpha helices and beta sheets, stabilized by hydrogen bonds in proteins

Solute

a substance that is dissolved in a solvent to form a solution.

Specific Heat Capacity

 the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Sphere of Hydration

a shell of water molecules surrounding an ion or polar molecule when it is dissolved in water.

Surface Tension

the cohesive force at the surface of a liquid that makes it behave like an elastic sheet.

Tertiary Structure

the overall three-dimensional shape of a single polypeptide chain, formed by interactions among secondary structural elements.

Unsaturated Fat

unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds in the fatty acid chains, which causes kinks that prevent tight packing.