MSP 204 Module 3 Vocabulary 1: A Study of Organic Chemistry Terms

Cation

a positively charged ion that is attracted to the cathode in electrolysis.

Amylase

any member of a class of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis (splitting of a compound by addition of a water molecule) of starch into smaller carbohydrate molecules such as maltose (a molecule composed of two glucose molecules).

Amphoteric

(of a compound, especially a metal oxide or hydroxide) able to react both as a base and as an acid.

Desquamation

or peeling skin, is the shedding of dead cells from the outermost layer of skin.

Chelating Agent

A chemical compound that binds tightly to metal ions. In medicine, chelating agents are used to remove toxic metals from the body.

Glycerol

a colorless, sweet, viscous liquid formed as a byproduct in soap manufacture. It is used as an emollient and laxative, and for making explosives and antifreeze.

Glycolysis

A process in which glucose (sugar) is partially broken down by cells in enzyme reactions that do not need oxygen.

Carbohydrate

any of a large group of organic compounds that includes sugars, starch, and cellulose, containing hydrogen and oxygen in the same ratio as water (2:1) and used as structural materials and for energy storage within living tissues.

Ketone

an organic compound containing a carbonyl group =C=O bonded to two hydrocarbon groups, made by oxidizing secondary alcohols. The simplest such compound is acetone.

Urea

a colorless crystalline compound which is the main nitrogenous breakdown product of protein metabolism in mammals and is excreted in urine.

Urotropin

When ammonia combines with formaldehyde based substances, it forms a neutral compound known as the mix of ammonia and formaldehyde

Turgid

(adj.) swollen, bloated, filled to excess; overdecorated or excessive in language.

PH

7.35-7.45, quantitative measure of the acidity or basicity of aqueous or other liquid solutions.

Neutralization

a chemical reaction in which acid and a base react with an equivalent quantity of each other.

Phenol Coefficient

a number relating the germicidal efficiency of a compound to phenol regarded as having an arbitrarily assigned value of 1 toward specified bacteria (as typhoid bacteria) under specified conditions.

Putrefaction

the decomposition of organic matter, the typically anaerobic splitting of proteins by bacteria and fungi with the formation of foul-smelling incompletely oxidized products.

Toluene

a liquid aromatic hydrocarbon C7H8 that resembles benzene but is less volatile, flammable, and toxic and is used especially as a solvent, in organic synthesis, and as an antiknock agent for gasoline.

Tonicity

The ability of a solution surrounding a cell to cause that cell to gain or lose water.

Triglyceride

an ester formed from glycerol and three fatty acid groups. Triglycerides are the main constituents of natural fats and oils, and high concentrations in the blood indicate an elevated risk of stroke.

Formalin

a clear aqueous solution of formaldehyde and methanol used especially as a preservative.

Hydrolysis

a chemical process of decomposition involving the splitting of a bond and the addition of the hydrogen cation and the hydroxide anion of water.

Hemolysis

is the rupturing (lysis) of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the release of their contents (cytoplasm) into surrounding fluid (e.g. blood plasma).

Creosote

a category of carbonaceous chemicals formed by the distillation of various tars and pyrolysis of plant-derived material, such as wood, or fossil fuel.
A mixture of a bunch of chemicals that are plant based.

Coagulation

the action or process of a liquid, especially blood, changing to a solid or semi-solid state.

Decay

of organic matter) rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi
the state or process of rotting or decomposition.

Decomposition

A chemical reaction that breaks down compounds into simpler products

Denature

destroy the characteristic properties of (a protein or other biological macromolecule) by heat, acidity, or other effects that disrupt its molecular conformation.

Deliquescent

a substance that readily absorbs moisture from the air, dissolving itself into a liquid solution as a result of this absorption.

Ethanol

a member of a class of organic compounds that are given the general name alcohols; its molecular formula is C2H5OH.

EDTA (ETHYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETIC ACID)

a white crystalline acid C10H16N2O8 that is widely used as a chelating and sequestering agent especially to inhibit the reactivity of metal ions.

Peptide

a compound consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain, the carboxyl group of each acid being joined to the amino group of the next by a bond of the type -OC-NH-.

Insoluble

incapable of being dissolved in a liquid and especially water.
the process when a substance can't be dissolved.

Autolysis

breakdown of all or part of a cell or tissue by self-produced enzymes.

Fermentation

chemical process by which molecules such as glucose are broken down anaerobically.
when molecules are broken down with no oxygen.

Oxidation

a chemical process, It is defined as a process that occurs when atoms or groups of atoms lose electrons (when a chemical species gains oxygen or loses hydrogen).
when atoms lose electrons chemically, to take in one you need to get rid of the other.