Basic Chemistry Terms

acid

A substance that donates hydrogen ions and therefore lowers pH.

adhesion

The attraction between water molecules and molecules of a different substance.

amino acid

A monomer of a protein.

anion

A negative ion formed by gaining electrons.

atomic number

The number of protons in an atom.

base

A substance that absorbs hydrogen ions and therefore raises pH.

buffer

A solution that resists a change in pH by absorbing or releasing hydrogen or hydroxide ions.

carbohydrate

A biological macromolecule in which the ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen is 1:2:1; carbohydrates serve as energy sources and structural support in cells.

cation

A positive ion formed by losing electrons.

cellulose

A polysaccharide that makes up the cell walls of plants and provides structural support to the cell.

chemical bond

An interaction between two or more of the same or different elements that results in the formation of molecules.

chitin

A type of carbohydrate that forms the outer skeleton of arthropods, such as insects and crustaceans, and the cell walls of fungi.

cohesion

The intermolecular forces between water molecules caused by the polar nature of water; creates surface tension.

covalent bond

A type of strong bond between two or more of the same or different elements; forms when electrons are shared between elements.

denaturation

The loss of shape in a protein as a result of changes in temperature, pH, or exposure to chemicals.

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

A double-stranded polymer of nucleotides that carries the hereditary information of the cell.

disaccharide

Two sugar monomers that are linked together by a glycosidic bond.

electron

A negatively charged particle that resides outside of the nucleus in the electron orbital; lacks functional mass and has a charge of –1.

electron transfer

The movement of electrons from one element to another.

element

One of 118 unique substances that cannot be broken down into smaller substances and retain the characteristic of that substance; each element has a specified number of protons and unique properties.

enzyme

A catalyst in a biochemical reaction that is usually a complex or conjugated protein.

evaporation

The release of water molecules from liquid water to form water vapor.

fat

A lipid molecule composed of three fatty acids and a glycerol (triglyceride) that typically exists in a solid form at room temperature.

glycogen

A storage carbohydrate in animals.

hormone

A chemical signaling molecule, usually a protein or steroid, secreted by an endocrine gland or group of endocrine cells; acts to control or regulate specific physiological processes.

hydrogen bond

A weak bond between partially positively charged hydrogen atoms and partially negatively charged elements or molecules.

hydrophilic

Describes a substance that dissolves in water; water-loving.

hydrophobic

Describes a substance that does not dissolve in water; water-fearing.

ion

An atom or compound that does not contain equal numbers of protons and electrons, and therefore has a net charge.

ionic bond

A chemical bond that forms between ions of opposite charges.

isotope

One or more forms of an element that have different numbers of neutrons.

lipids

A class of macromolecules that are nonpolar and insoluble in water.

litmus paper

Filter paper that has been treated with a natural water-soluble dye so it can be used as a pH indicator.

macromolecule

A large molecule, often formed by polymerization of smaller monomers.

mass number

The number of protons plus neutrons in an atom.

matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space.

monosaccharide

A single unit or monomer of carbohydrates.

neutron

A particle with no charge that resides in the nucleus of an atom; has a mass of 1.

nonpolar covalent bond

A type of covalent bond that forms between atoms when electrons are shared equally between atoms, resulting in no regions with partial charges as in polar covalent bonds.

nucleic acid

A biological macromolecule that carries the genetic information of a cell and carries instructions for the functioning of the cell.

nucleotide

A monomer of nucleic acids; contains a pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

nucleus

(Chemistry) The dense center of an atom made up of protons and (except in the case of a hydrogen atom) neutrons.

octet rule

States that the outermost shell of an element with a low atomic number can hold eight electrons.

oil

An unsaturated fat that is a liquid at room temperature.

periodic table of elements

An organizational chart of elements, indicating the atomic number and mass number of each element; also provides key information about the properties of elements.

pH scale

A scale ranging from 0 to 14 that measures the approximate concentration of hydrogen ions of a substance.

phospholipid

A major constituent of the membranes of cells; composed of two fatty acids and a phosphate group attached to the glycerol backbone.

polar covalent bond

A type of covalent bond in which electrons are pulled toward one atom and away from another, resulting in slightly positive and slightly negative charged regions of the molecule.

polypeptide

A long chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.

polysaccharide

A long chain of monosaccharides; may be branched or unbranched.

protein

A biological macromolecule composed of one or more chains of amino acids.

proton

A positively charged particle that resides in the nucleus of an atom; has a mass of 1 and a charge of +1.

radioactive isotope

An isotope that spontaneously emits particles or energy to form a more stable element.

ribonucleic acid (RNA)

A single-stranded polymer of nucleotides that is involved in protein synthesis.

saturated fatty acid

A long-chain hydrocarbon with single covalent bonds in the carbon chain; the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon skeleton is maximized.

solvent

A substance capable of dissolving another substance.

starch

A storage carbohydrate in plants.

steroid

A type of lipid composed of four fused hydrocarbon rings.

surface tension

The cohesive force at the surface of a body of liquid that prevents the molecules from separating.

temperature

A measure of molecular motion.

trans-fat

A form of unsaturated fat with the hydrogen atoms neighboring the double bond across from each other rather than on the same side of the double bond.

triglyceride

A fat molecule; consists of three fatty acids linked to a glycerol molecule.

unsaturated fatty acid

A long-chain hydrocarbon that has one or more than one double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain.

van der Waals interaction

A weak attraction or interaction between molecules caused by slightly positively charged or slightly negatively charged atoms.