Biology - Chemical Composition of Organisms and Water Properties

Vocabulary flashcards detailing biogenic elements, chemical bonds, intermolecular forces, and the physical and biological properties of water from lecture notes.

Biogenic Elements

The chemical elements S, P, C, H, O, and N, which are the main components building all organisms, forming organic compounds, and enabling vital processes such as metabolism.

Strong Chemical Bonds

Chemical interactions that connect atoms within a molecule or chemical compound, including covalent bonds and ionic bonds.

Weak Chemical Interactions

Interactions characterized by the attraction or repulsion of free atoms or molecules, requiring less energy to break than strong chemical bonds.

Intermolecular Interactions

Weak non-covalent interactions between molecules, including dipole-dipole interactions, ion-dipole interactions, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.

Water

An excellent solvent for polar compounds characterized by lower solid-state density than liquid-state density, higher density than air, high specific heat capacity, high heat of vaporization, cohesion, adhesion, and high surface tension.

High Specific Heat Capacity of Water

A property of water that prevents drastic temperature changes, allowing organisms to warm up and cool down slowly.

High Heat of Vaporization of Water

A property of water where evaporation removes heat and protects organisms from overheating, such as when sweat evaporates from a marathon runner to cool the body.

Cohesion

The mutual attraction between water molecules (spójność) that enables the continuous upward transport of water throughout a plant.

Adhesion

The attraction of water molecules to other surfaces (przyleganie) that assists in transporting water through plants.

Density of Water

A physical property of water where its density in the solid state is lower than in the liquid state, and its density in the liquid state is greater than the density of air.