Bio Final

Macromolecules

Large organic compounds that make up living cells.

Polymerization

Process in which large compounds are built by joining smaller compounds together.

Monomers

The smaller compounds that make up macromolecules.

Polymers

The large compounds formed from monomers.

Carbohydrates

Main source of energy used by living things, made from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of carbohydrate molecules; examples include glycogen and starch.

Nucleic Acids

Macromolecules that store and transmit genetic information, including DNA and RNA.

Nucleotides

The individual monomers of nucleic acids; consist of a nitrogenous base, a 5-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group.

Proteins

Macromolecules that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen; serve various functions in the body.

Amino Acids

The monomers that make up proteins.

Enzymes

Proteins that speed up the rate of a chemical reaction.

Activation Energy

The amount of energy needed for a reaction to begin.

Homeostasis

The existence and maintenance of a relatively constant environment within the body of an organism.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate, an important compound used to store and release energy in cells.

Photosynthesis

Process by which organisms capture light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and carbohydrates.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that must consume other living things to obtain energy.

Autotrophs

Organisms that can make their own food, often through photosynthesis.

Meiosis

Cell division that creates gametes: sperm and egg cells.

Diploid

A cell with two sets of chromosomes.

Haploid

A cell with one set of chromosomes, like a gamete.

Mutation

Any change in the genetic material of a cell.

Point Mutation

A mutation in which a single base pair of DNA has been changed.

Frameshift Mutation

Mutations that shift the reading frame of the genetic message by inserting or deleting nucleotides.

Codon

A set of three bases in mRNA that codes for an amino acid.

Punnett Square

A tool used to predict the outcome of genetic crosses.

Gene

A sequence of DNA that codes for a protein and determines a trait.

Alleles

Different forms of a gene.

Incomplete Dominance

A situation in which one allele is not completely dominant over the other allele.

Codominance

A situation in which both alleles contribute to the phenotype.