Chemical Basis of Life and Cell Components

Vocabulary flashcards covering atomic structure, chemical bonding, reactions, pH, and cell organic components based on lecture notes.

Chemistry

The field of science required to understand physiology and how body parts work.

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space.

Elements

Pure substances that act as the building blocks of matter, with 118 known elements, about 94 naturally found on Earth, and about 20 required by living organisms.

Atom

A single unit of an element, representing the smallest amount of an element you can have.

Nucleus (Atomic)

The central portion of an atom that is positively charged due to the presence of protons.

Electron

A tiny, negatively charged particle with minimal mass that orbits the nucleus of an atom.

Proton

A relatively large, positively charged particle located inside the nucleus of an atom.

Neutron

A relatively large, neutral particle with no charge located inside the nucleus of an atom.

Atomic number

An element's identification number, which equals its number of protons.

Atomic mass

The weight of one atom, calculated as the sum of its protons and neutrons.

Electron shell

The expected pathway of electrons orbiting around the nucleus of an atom.

Valence

The number of electrons located in the outer shell of an atom.

Oxidation (Probable charge)

The probable charge of an atom after gaining or losing electrons to fill its outer shell.

Ions

Atoms that have a positive or negative charge due to the gain or loss of electrons.

Ionic bond

A chemical bond created when electrons are transferred, creating positive and negative ions that attract each other.

Covalent bond

A chemical bond created when electrons are shared between atoms.

Single covalent bond

A covalent bond formed when atoms share 1 pair of electrons.

Double covalent bond

A covalent bond formed when atoms share 2 pairs of electrons.

Hydrogen bond

A weak attraction between a hydrogen atom and a nitrogen or oxygen atom, usually found in proteins and $DNA$.

Diatomic molecules

Reactive elements found naturally as 2 atoms of the same element bonded together, such as $H_2$, $O_2$, $N_2$, $Br_2$, $F_2$, $Cl_2$, and $I_2$.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses; some isotopes can be radioactive.

Synthesis reaction

A chemical reaction that builds complex structures from simple structures ($A + B \rightarrow AB$) and requires energy.

Decomposition reaction

A chemical reaction that breaks down complex structures into simple structures ($AB \rightarrow A + B$) and gives off energy.

Displacement reaction

A chemical reaction where atoms or molecules switch or exchange places, occurring as single or double displacement.

Reversible reaction

A chemical reaction that can proceed both forward and backward ($A + B \rightleftharpoons AB$).

Catalyst

A molecule that changes the rate of a reaction or decreases required energy without being consumed or adding to the reaction.

Electrolytes

Compounds that release ions in solution, such as acids and bases.

pH scale

A scale used to measure acidic or basic levels, where 7.0 is neutral.

Acids

Compounds that release hydrogen ions ($H^+$) in solution, having a pH below 7.0.

Bases

Compounds that release ions (such as hydroxide, $OH^-$) that combine with $H^+$, having a pH above 7.0.

Organic components

Chemical compounds containing both carbon ($C$) and hydrogen ($H$).

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds containing $C$, $O$, and $H$ that provide energy, store energy, and supply building material.

Monosaccharides

Carbohydrate molecules consisting of one 6-carbon ring, such as fructose, glucose, and galactose.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrate molecules consisting of two 6-carbon rings, such as lactose (milk sugar) and sucrose (table sugar).

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates made of many simple sugars, such as glycogen and starch.

Lipids

Organic molecules that are insoluble in water, including fats and phospholipids.

Fats

Energy-storing lipids composed of one unchangeable glycerol molecule and three changeable fatty acid chains.

Saturated fat

A fat full of hydrogens, containing no double bonds, solid at room temperature, and considered the least healthy.

Polyunsaturated fat

A fat containing lots of double bonds and few hydrogens, liquid at room temperature, and considered the most healthy.

Phospholipid

A lipid containing glycerol, 2 fatty acid tails (hydrophobic, insoluble in $H_2O$), and a phosphate head (hydrophilic, soluble in $H_2O$), making up the cell membrane.

Conformation

The specifically folded shape of a protein that allows it to function properly.

Denatured protein

An unfolded, unusable protein that must be remade by the cell.

Amino acids

The structural building blocks of proteins.

Nucleotides

The building blocks of nucleic acids ($DNA$ and $RNA$).

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid)

A double-stranded nucleic acid made of deoxyribose sugar and nucleotides containing Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine.

RNA (Ribonucleic acid)

A single-stranded nucleic acid made of ribose sugar and nucleotides containing Adenine, Uracil, Cytosine, and Guanine.