Chemistry for Physiology Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the basic chemical concepts, elements, atomic structures, chemical bonds, biomolecules, and inorganic chemistry principles relevant to human physiology.

Element

The simplest form of matter with unique chemical properties.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that retains the properties of that element.

Base Elements

Building block elements (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur) that form covalent bonds with each other to build carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, and nucleic acids.

Electrolytes

Salts that ionize in water to form full electrical charges, conducting electricity in the body and playing vital roles in water movement, nerve function, and muscle function.

Sodium ($Na^+$)

The main extracellular cation electrolyte.

Chloride ($Cl^-$)

The main extracellular anion electrolyte.

Potassium ($K^+$)

The main intracellular cation electrolyte.

Calcium ($Ca^{2+}$)

An electrolyte needed for muscle contraction and nerve signaling.

Trace Minerals / Trace Ions

Minerals and ions that help with protein function, act as enzyme cofactors, and assist in growth, development, and process regulation without conducting electricity.

Protons

Positively charged subatomic particles located in the nucleus of an atom.

Electrons

Negatively charged subatomic particles that orbit the atomic nucleus in orbitals or shells.

Neutrons

Uncharged (neutral) subatomic particles located in the nucleus of an atom.

Isotopes

Two versions of the same atom that have the same number of protons but differ in their number of neutrons.

Ion

An atom or element that has gained or lost an electron in its outer orbital, resulting in a net electrical charge.

Anion

An atom that has gained an electron, giving it a net negative charge.

Cation

An atom that has lost an electron, giving it a net positive charge.

Ionic Bonds

Chemical bonds formed by the electrical attraction between cations and anions, which form crystals that dissociate in water.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed when atoms share electrons to achieve a full set of $8$ valence electrons.

Non-polar Covalent Bonds

Covalent bonds where electrons are shared equally between atoms with similar pull, creating electrically neutral and hydrophobic molecules.

Polar Covalent Bonds

Covalent bonds where electrons spend more than $50\%$ of their time around one atom, giving that atom a partial negative charge ($\delta^-$) and the other atom a partial positive charge ($\delta^+$).

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak electrical attractions between a partial positive hydrogen atom ($H^{\delta^+}$) and a partial negative oxygen or nitrogen atom ($\delta^-$), helping hold molecular structures like DNA and proteins together.

Hydrophilic

Water-loving properties of polar molecules and ionic substances that allow them to dissolve easily in water.

Hydrophobic

Water-fearing (lipophilic) properties of non-polar covalent substances that prevent them from dissolving in water.

Organic Compounds

Carbon-containing molecules joined by covalent bonds that form the main structural and functional units of the body.

Inorganic Compounds

Simpler chemical compounds that lack carbon, such as water ($H_2O$) and table salt ($NaCl$).

Carbohydrates

Organic molecules composed of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen with polar covalent bonds, serving as primary energy sources, energy storage, and cell markers.

Lipids

Organic molecules consisting mostly of carbon and hydrogen with very little oxygen, dominated by non-polar covalent bonds and insoluble in water.

Triglycerides

Lipids composed of $3$ fatty acids and glycerol (a $3$-carbon alcohol) that store energy, insulate body heat, and cushion organs.

Phospholipids

Amphiphilic lipids made of a hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic fatty acid tails, forming barriers such as cell and organelle membranes.

Amphiphilic

Describing a molecule (such as a phospholipid) that contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.

Prostaglandins

Lipid compounds that act as local cellular messengers to direct neighboring cell activities.

Amino Acids

Organic molecules containing a polar amino group ($NH_2$), a polar organic acid group ($COOH$), and a unique functional group attached to a central carbon.

Proteins

Complex $3\text{D}$ biomolecules formed by chains of amino acids that serve as the main functional units of the body.

Nucleic Acids

Complex molecules consisting of a $5$-carbon sugar, a nitrogen-containing base, and phosphate groups, functioning to store genetic info, direct cellular energy, and act as intracellular messengers.

Acids

Substances that release (donate) hydrogen ions (protons) when dissolved in water, registering a pH value below $7$.

Bases

Substances that accept hydrogen ions (protons) in water, registering a pH value above $7$.

pH Scale

A measurement scale of relative hydrogen ion concentration where $7$ is neutral, below $7$ is acidic, and above $7$ is basic (alkaline).

Acidosis

A condition occurring when body pH drops below the normal physiological range of $7.35$ to $7.45$, leading to suffocation.

Alkalosis

A condition occurring when body pH rises above the normal physiological range of $7.35$ to $7.45$, leading to seizures and cramps.

Buffer

A chemical compound capable of absorbing an acid or a base to maintain a steady physiological pH within the range of $7.35$ to $7.45$.