Biology Lecture Review: Scientific Process, Chemistry, Water, Macromolecules, and Enzymes

A complete vocabulary set covering scientific methods, graphing, biological themes, basic chemistry, water properties, functional groups, dehydration synthesis, hydrolysis, macromolecules, indicator solutions, and enzyme kinetics.

Observation

Information gathered using your senses or measurements.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation or prediction.

Independent Variable

The factor the scientist purposely changes; plotted on the x-axis of a graph.

Dependent Variable

The factor that is measured; plotted on the y-axis of a graph.

Control Group

The group that does not receive the treatment being tested.

Experimental Group

The group that receives the treatment being tested.

Controlled Variables / Constants

Factors kept the same throughout an experiment.

Line Graph

A graph usually used to show change over time or continuous data.

Bar Graph

A graph usually used to compare different groups or categories.

Major Themes of Biology

Organization, information, energy/matter, interactions, and evolution.

Basic Properties of Life

Organization, reproduction, growth, energy use, response, regulation, and evolution.

Homeostasis

Maintaining stable internal conditions.

Metabolism

All chemical reactions occurring in an organism.

Adaptation

An inherited trait that helps survival or reproduction.

Cell

The basic unit of life.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element.

Element

A substance made of only one type of atom.

Compound

Two or more different elements chemically combined.

Proton

A subatomic particle located in the nucleus with a positive charge.

Neutron

A subatomic particle located in the nucleus with no charge.

Electron

A subatomic particle located around the nucleus with a negative charge.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond where atoms share electrons.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond where electrons are transferred between atoms.

Ion

An atom with a positive or negative charge.

Molecule

Two or more atoms chemically bonded.

Organic Compound

A carbon-based compound, usually containing carbon and hydrogen.

Hydrogen Bond

A type of bond that forms between separate water molecules.

Cohesion

Water sticking to water.

Adhesion

Water sticking to other substances.

Surface Tension

A property caused by cohesion between water molecules.

Capillary Action

Water moving upward through narrow spaces.

High Specific Heat

Property of water requiring lots of energy to change its temperature, which helps keep temperatures stable for living things.

Solute

The substance being dissolved in a solution.

Solvent

The substance doing the dissolving in a solution.

Solution

A mixture of a solute dissolved in a solvent.

pH Scale

A scale measuring how acidic or basic a solution is, where neutral is $7$, acidic is below $7$, and basic is above $7$.

Hydroxyl Group

Functional group containing oxygen and hydrogen with the structure $\text{-OH}$.

Carbonyl Group

Functional group featuring carbon double-bonded to oxygen with the structure $\text{C=O}$.

Carboxyl Group

Functional group that acts as an acid with the structure $\text{-COOH}$.

Amino Group

Functional group containing nitrogen with the structure $\text{-NH}_2$.

Dehydration Synthesis

The process that builds polymers by joining monomers together through the removal of water.

Hydrolysis

The process that breaks polymers into monomers by adding water.

Monomer

A small building-block molecule.

Polymer

A large molecule made of repeating monomers.

Monosaccharides

The monomer building block of carbohydrates, such as glucose.

Carbohydrates

Macromolecules composed mainly of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that function as quick/short-term energy; examples include sugars and starches.

Starch

A carbohydrate that stores energy in plants.

Glycogen

A carbohydrate that stores energy in animals.

Lipids

Macromolecules built from glycerol and fatty acids that function in long-term energy, insulation, membranes, and hormones; examples include fats, oils, waxes, steroids, and phospholipids.

Phospholipids

A type of lipid that forms a major part of cell membranes.

Saturated Fat

A fat with no carbon-carbon double bonds.

Unsaturated Fat

A fat with one or more carbon-carbon double bonds.

Proteins

Macromolecules made of amino acid monomers whose three-dimensional shape determines their function, including enzymes, structure, transport, movement, and defense.

Peptide Bond

The chemical bond that joins amino acids together in proteins.

Nucleic Acids

Macromolecules made of nucleotide monomers that store and transmit genetic information; major examples are DNA and RNA.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base.

Benedict's Solution

A chemical reagent that tests for simple/reducing sugars, turning with heat from blue toward green/yellow/orange/red when present.

Iodine

A chemical reagent that tests for starch, turning blue-black/dark purple when starch is present.

Biuret Solution

A chemical reagent that tests for protein, turning purple/violet when protein is present.

Sudan Test

A chemical test for lipids where a positive result is indicated by a red/orange-stained oily layer.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst, usually a protein, that speeds up chemical reactions without being used up.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction.

Activation Energy

The energy needed to start a chemical reaction, which enzymes lower.

Substrate

The specific molecule that an enzyme acts on.

Active Site

The specific part of an enzyme where the substrate binds.

Enzyme-Substrate Complex

The temporary structure formed when an enzyme and substrate are bound together.

Denaturing

The process in which an enzyme changes shape and loses function, preventing the substrate from fitting into the active site.

Products

Molecules produced by a chemical reaction.