Unit 1: Chemistry of Life

As basic building blocks of life, all living organisms use nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, as well as a variety of small molecules such as metabolites, messengers, and energy carriers.

Nucleic acids

Nucleic acids

Nucleic acids are macromolecules essential for the storage and transmission of genetic information in living organisms. Made up of simple unit of nucleotides.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is essential for building cells and producing certain hormones in the body.

Carbohydrates

________ are organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Haemoglobin

________ is a molecule in the blood that helps distribute oxygen to the tissues in the body.

Hydrolysis

________ is when polymers can also be broken down into monomers.

Monosaccharides

A monosaccharide is the simplest form of carbohydrate, consisting of a single sugar molecule..

DNA

DNA is a molecule that carries genetic instructions. It has a double helix structure made of nucleotides containing adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine..

Monomers

Monomers are the individual building blocks of a polymer.

concentration of hydrogen

The ________ ions in a solution will indicate whether it is acidic, basic, or neutral.

Electrons

________ are negatively charged (-) particles.

RNA

________ is essential for protein synthesis.

Protons

________ are positively charged (+) particles.

Neutrons

________ are neutral particles as they donot carry any electric charge.

Phospholipids

________ contain two fatty acid "tails "and one negatively charged phosphate "head.

Polymers

________ are chains of building blocks in macromolecules.

Glucose

________ is an important part of the food we eat, and it is the product made by plants during photosynthesis.

Amino acids

________ are building blocks of proteins.

Side chain polarity

________ affects whether an amino acid is more hydrophobic or more hydrophilic.

Polysaccharides

A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate composed of multiple monosaccharide (simple sugar) units linked together.

Acidic solution

A solution is acidic if it contains a lot of hydrogen ions (H+).

Atoms

________ are the unit of life and are the building blocks of the physical world.

pH scale

The ________ is logarithmic and represents a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration.

alpha helix

An alpha helix is a common secondary structure in proteins, characterized by a tightly coiled, helical shape.

fatty acid

A fatty acid is a type of molecule that serves as a building block of lipids, which are a class of biological molecules that include fats, oils, and phospholipids.

disaccharide

A disaccharide is a type of carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharide molecules joined together through a chemical bond known as a glycosidic bond.

polypeptide

A polypeptide is a chain of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.

triglyceride

A triglyceride is a type of lipid (fat) and is composed of three fatty acid molecules chemically linked to a glycerol molecule.

Proteins

Proteins are large molecules made of amino acids, serving various roles such as enzymes for chemical reactions, structural support, and signaling in the body.

Lipids

Lipids are a diverse group of organic molecules that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar solvents.

ph scale

The ________ or alkalinity of a solution can be measured using a pH scale.

covalent bond

A(n) ________ is formed when electrons are shared between atoms.

Adhesion

The ________ contributes to another property of water known as surface tension.

Elements

Elements are pure substances that consist of only one type of atom.

Just add water

To break up the disaccharide and form two monosaccharides

Lipid Saturation

The extent of saturation in a lipid can affect its structure and function.

Cohesion

Cohesion refers to the tendency of molecules of the same substance to be attracted to each other.

Surface Tension

beta-plated sheet

A beta-plated sheet is a protein secondary structure where adjacent amino acid chains align in a sheet-like formation, held together by hydrogen bonds.

Neutrons

________ are uncharged particles.

Phospholipids

A phospholipid is a type of lipid molecule composed of two fatty acid chains, a glycerol backbone, and a phosphate group.