Unit 1 Biochemistry

Water

The medium of life that can dissolve a variety of molecules and facilitates chemical reactions.

Solvent

A substance that can dissolve other substances, allowing reactants and enzymes to interact.

Catabolic reaction

A process that breaks down larger molecules into smaller ones.

Anabolic reaction

A process that builds larger molecules from smaller ones.

Metabolite

A substance involved in metabolic processes, which can be a reactant or product of a reaction.

Cytosol

The liquid part of the cytoplasm, primarily composed of water and dissolved substances necessary for metabolic processes.

Temperature buffer

Water's ability to maintain a stable temperature due to its high specific heat capacity.

Cohesion

The property of water molecules sticking to each other, important for processes like transpiration in plants.

Adhesion

The attraction of water to other polar molecules, aiding in processes like capillary action.

Capillary action

The ability of water to move against gravity, crucial for transporting nutrients in plants.

Hydrophobic

Nonpolar molecules that do not dissolve in water and tend to clump together.

Lipoprotein

A complex of lipids and proteins that allows for the transport of lipids in the bloodstream.

Buoyancy

The upward force that allows objects to float in a fluid, dependent on density.

Viscosity

A measure of a fluid's resistance to flow, influenced by the interactions between its molecules.

Specific heat capacity

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance, with water having the highest capacity among liquids.

Carbohydrates

Organic molecules made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, serving as a primary energy source.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars, such as glucose, that are the building blocks of carbohydrates.

Polysaccharides

Large carbohydrate molecules made up of repeating monosaccharide units.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide that serves as the primary storage form of glucose in animals.

Cellulose

A complex carbohydrate that forms the structural component of plant cell walls.

Proteins

Large molecules made up of amino acids that perform a variety of functions in living organisms.

Amino acids

The monomers that make up proteins, with 21 different types found in eukaryotes.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering activation energy.

Denaturation

The process by which a protein loses its functional shape due to environmental changes, such as temperature or pH.

Induced fit

A model describing how enzymes and substrates interact, where both change shape for optimal binding.

Substrate

The specific reactant that an enzyme acts upon.

Active site

The region of an enzyme where substrate binding and catalysis occur.

Hydrolysis

A catabolic reaction that breaks down larger molecules into smaller ones using water.

Condensation reaction

An anabolic reaction that joins two monomers, producing water as a byproduct.

Glycoproteins

Proteins with carbohydrate chains attached, involved in cell recognition and signaling.