Biochemistry vocab- honors bio

atom

the smallest unit of matter

ion

an atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

octet rule

Atoms tend to gain,lose, or share electrons until their valence shell is full (8 electrons)

ionic bond

the transfer of electrons (stealing) from a metal to a nonmetal which creates ions. 

covalent bond

results from sharing pair(s) of electrons between the atoms usually found between 2 nonmetals.

solvent

dissolves substances (liquid)

solute

what is dissolved (solid)

solution

the solute + solvent 

electronegativity

the ability of an atom to attract electrons towards itself in a covalent bond. 

hydrogen bond

a weak chemical bond that forms between a partially positive hydrogen atom and a partially negative atom. 

organic compound

a chemical compound that contains carbon, typically bonded to hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen.

biomolecule

large, organic molecules essential for life, produced by living organisms

polymer

molecules that are built out of many repeated pieces linked together

monomer

the 1 piece that is repeated over and over

chitin

are polysaccharides that provide structure to anthropods and fungi.

phospholipid bilayer

a double layer of phospholipid molecules that forms the basic structure of all cell membranes

denature/denaturation

the process where a protein or nucleic acid loses its folded three-dimensional structure due to external stress like heat, acid, or mechanical agitation, causing it to be nonfunctional.

catalyst

a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being permanently changed by the process

digestion reaction (digestive enzyme)

a chemical reaction that uses digestive enzymes, which are proteins, to break down large food molecules into smaller units. 

synthesis reaction (synthesis enzyme)

a chemical reaction where two or more simple substances combine to form a more complex product

gene

a unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and determines some characteristics of the offspring

cohesion

water sticks to water creating surface tension

adhesion

water sticks to other substances

transpiration

the evaporation of eater from the leaves of a tree- as the water evaporates, it pulls on the water molecule right below it

specific heat

the amount of heat needed to raise or lower 1g of a substance 1 degree Celcius.

Heat of vaporization

the amount of energy to convert 1g of a substance from a liquid to a gas

macromolecules

large biomolecules with 4 major classes including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids

dehydration synthesis

the removal of water to make a bond in a polymer

hydrolysis

the adding of water to break a bond in a poylmer

saccharide

(sugars) poylmers + monomers

monosaccharide

contains 1 saccharide molecule

di-saccharide

contains 2 saccharide molecules

poly-saccharide

contains 3 or more saccharides

starch

are polysaccharides that provide long-term energy storage for plants

glycogen

are polysaccharides that provide shrot-term energy storage in animals

cellulose

are polysaccharides that provide structure to plants and are the main component of plant cell walls (very tough)

lipids

generally called fats and are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen with the function of long term energy storage for animals.

phospholipid

the lipid that makes up a cell membrane

phospholipid bilayer

cell membrane

proteins

are polymers that provide structure to build our bodies. (monomer = amino acid)

compound

two or more elements that are combined

chemical bonds

the forces that hold atoms or ions together