Chemical Basis of Life, Carbohydrates, and Lipids Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the chemical foundations of biology, including bonds, water properties, bioelements, and the structure and function of carbohydrates and lipids based on the Basque curriculum.

Octet Rule ($Zortzikotearen araua$)

The tendency of atoms (except noble gases) to gain, lose, or share electrons to reach a stable configuration of $8$ electrons in their valence shell ($2$ for hydrogen).

Ionic Bond ($Lotura ionikoa$)

An electrostatic attraction between ions of opposite charges, such as crystal lattices formed by metallic ($Na^+$) and non-metallic ($Cl^-$) elements.

Covalent Bond ($Lotura kobalentea$)

A chemical bond formed between elements with high electroaffinity that share one, two, or three pairs of electrons to achieve stability.

Hydrogen Bond ($Hidrogeno-lotura$)

An electrostatic attraction between the partial positive charge (̑+) of a hydrogen atom and the partial negative charge (̑-) of a highly electronegative atom like Fluorine, Oxygen, or Nitrogen.

Primary Bioelements ($Lehen mailako bioelementuak$)

The six chemical elements ($C$, $H$, $O$, $N$ , $P$, and $S$) that make up approximately $96\%$ of dry organic matter in living organisms.

Oligoelements ($Oligoelementuak$)

Essential elements found in very small quantities ($oligo$ meaning scarce) that act as catalysts or structural components, such as Iron ($Fe$), Copper ($Cu$), Iodine ($I$), and Lithium ($Li$).

Carbon ($Karbonoa$)

The structural basis of life due to its tetravalence, allowing it to form four stable covalent bonds and create long linear, branched, or cyclic molecular chains.

Biomolecules ($Biomolekulak$)

Molecules unique to living beings made of combined bioelements ($organic$) or molecules like water and mineral salts shared with the environment ($inorganic$).

Water Structure ($Uraren egitura$)

A simple polar molecule with two Hydrogen atoms and one Oxygen atom linked by covalent bonds at an angle of $104,5^\circ$.

Amphipathic Molecule ($Molekula anfipatikoa$)

A molecule containing both a hydrophilic (polar) region and a hydrophobic (apolar) region, such as phospholipids or fatty acids.

Specific Heat of Water ($Bero espezifiko altua$)

The high amount of energy required to raise water's temperature, as part of the energy is used to break hydrogen bonds, making it an excellent thermal regulator.

Capillarity ($Kapilaritatea$)

The property of water to move up thin tubes against gravity, driven by the combination of adhesion and cohesion forces.

Homeostasis ($Homeostasia$)

The maintenance of stable physico-chemical parameters in the cellular environment through regulatory mechanisms.

Osmosis ($Osmosia$)

The diffusion of water (solvent) through a semipermeable membrane from a low-solute concentration to a high-solute concentration.

Monosaccharides ($Monosakaridoak$)

The simplest carbohydrates ($C_n H_{2n} O_n$) that cannot be hydrolyzed further, containing a carbonyl group and several hydroxyl groups.

Fehling's Test ($Fehling-en erreakzioa$)

A procedure used to identify reducing sugars where copper ($II$) salts are reduced to red copper ($I$) oxide ($Cu^+$) in the presence of a free carbonyl group.

Anomers ($Anomeroak$)

Isomers formed during the cyclization of monosaccharides ($\alpha$ or $\beta$) based on the relative position of the hydroxyl group on the newly formed asymmetric carbon.

Glucose ($Glukosa$)

A hexose monosaccharide that serves as the primary cellular fuel and the monomer for starch, glycogen, and cellulose.

O-glycosidic bond ($Lotura O-glukosidikoa$)

A covalent bond connecting two monosaccharides via a shared oxygen atom, resulting in the loss of one water molecule ($H_2O$).

Starch ($Almidoia$)

The main energy reserve polysaccharide in plants, consisting of two glucose polymers: amylose and amylopectin.

Glycogen ($Glukogenoa$)

A highly branched polysaccharide used as energy storage in animal cells, primarily located in the liver and skeletal muscles.

Cellulose ($Zelulosa$)

A structural polysaccharide found in plant cell walls made of unbranched linear chains of $\beta$-D-glucose linked by $\beta(1 \rightarrow 4)$ bonds.

Saponifiable Lipids ($Lipido saponifikagarriak$)

Lipids containing fatty acids linked by ester bonds that can react with bases to form soap; includes triglycerides, phospholipids, and waxes.

Saturated Fatty Acids ($Gantz-azido aseak$)

Fatty acids with no double bonds in their hydrocarbon chain, typically solid at room temperature with high melting points.

Phospholipids ($Fosfolipidoak$)

Structural lipids of cell membranes composed of an alcohol, fatty acids, a phosphate group, and an amino alcohol, forming layers due to their amphipathic nature.

Terpenes ($Terpenoak$)

Non-saponifiable lipids formed by isoprene units, functioning as plant pigments like carotenoids or vitamins like $A$, $E$, and $K$.

Steroids ($Esteroideak$)

Non-saponifiable lipids derived from sterane ($cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene$), including cholesterol and hormones like testosterone and estrogen.

Prostaglandins ($Prostaglandinak$)

Lipids derived from $20$-carbon fatty acids that regulate processes such as inflammation, blood coagulation, and muscle contraction.

Zwitterion ($Zwitterioia$)

A dipolar amino acid ion found in neutral solutions where the carboxyl group is negatively charged ($COO^-$) and the amino group is positively charged ($NH_3^+$).

Amphoteric Behavior ($Jokabide anfoteroa$)

The ability of a substance, such as an amino acid, to act as an acid or a base depending on the $pH$ of the environment.