Chemistry of Life

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on the chemistry of life, including properties of water, chemical reactions, and general statistics relevant to biological data.

What is a universal solvent?

A substance that dissolves more solutes than any other liquid; water is the universal solvent.

What properties make water unique?

Water is a polar molecule with high specific heat, cohesion and adhesion, greatest density at 4°C, and acts as a universal solvent.

What variables are typically represented in a scatter plot?

Independent variable on the x-axis and dependent variable on the y-axis.

What is the difference between exergonic and endergonic reactions?

Exergonic reactions release energy while endergonic reactions require energy input.

What does pH represent?

The potential of hydrogen in a solution; measures acidity or alkalinity.

What role does carbon play in organic macromolecules?

Carbon forms the backbone of organic molecules due to its ability to create four covalent bonds.

Define hydrolysis reaction.

A chemical reaction that involves the breaking of a bond in a molecule using water.

What is a metabolic reaction?

A chemical reaction that occurs within a living organism to maintain life.

What does the term 'bioaccumulation' mean?

The buildup of toxins in an organism over time due to consumption of contaminated resources.

Explain the significance of the 68/95/99.7 rule in statistics.

It describes how data is distributed in a normal distribution; 68% falls within 1 standard deviation, 95% within 2, and 99.7% within 3.