Organic Chemistry: The study of carbon-containing compounds and their properties.
Inorganic Chemistry: The study of inorganic compounds, which do not primarily contain carbon.
Biochemistry: The branch of science that explores the chemical processes within and related to living organisms.
Monomers and Polymers: Monomers are small molecular units that combine to form polymers through chemical reactions.
Dehydration Synthesis: A chemical process where two molecules are bonded together with the removal of a water molecule.
Hydrolysis: The chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water.
Monosaccharides: Simple sugars (e.g., glucose, fructose).
Disaccharides: Formed by two monosaccharides (e.g., sucrose).
Polysaccharides: Long chains of monosaccharide units (e.g., starch, glycogen, cellulose).
Benedict's Test: Tests for reducing sugars; positive result indicates presence of reducing sugars with a color change.
Iodine Test: Tests for starch; a positive test will yield a blue-black color.
Types of Lipids: Includes fatty acids, triglycerides (fats and oils), waxes, sterols, and glycerol.
Greasy Spot Test: Indicates the presence of lipids by leaving a translucent spot on paper.
Sudan Test: Tests for lipids using Sudan dye which stains lipids red.
Emulsion Test: Determines the presence of fats in a solution; creates an emulsion when a lipid is mixed with water in the presence of an emulsifier.
Amino Acids: Building blocks of proteins, containing an amino group, carboxyl group, and a side chain.
Peptide Bonds: Bonds that link amino acids together to form proteins.
Biuret Test: Detects proteins. A color change to violet indicates the presence of peptide bonds.
Parts and Functions: Understanding magnification, parfocal settings (stays in focus when switching objectives), resolution, working distance, field of view, iris diaphragm, and depth of focus.
Types of slides include prepared slides (w.m. for whole mount, I.s. for intermediate section, x.s. for cross-section), specimens, wet mounts, and cover slips.
Cell Types: Unicellular (single-celled organisms), colonial (groups of genetically identical cells), and multicellular (complex organisms).
Stereomicroscope: Provides a 3D view of specimens.
Electron Microscope: Uses electrons for high-resolution images; includes transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron micrographs.
Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic: Prokaryotes lack a defined nucleus; eukaryotes have membrane-bound organelles.
Organelles: Structure and functions of organelles in plants (e.g., chloroplasts) and animals (e.g., mitochondria).
Prepared slides include Oscillatoria, Spirillum, cheek cells, Amoeba, blood cells, Elodea, potato slices, and onion skin.
Staining techniques: Methylene blue and iodine stain.
Selectively permeable: Cell membranes that allow certain substances to pass.
Diffusion: Movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration.
Concentration Gradient: Difference in concentration of a substance across a space.
Brownian Movement: Random motion of particles in a fluid.
Osmosis: Diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane.
Passive Transport: Movement of molecules through the cell membrane without energy input.
Equilibrium: Balance of concentrations.
Hypertonic: Higher concentration of solutes outside the cell; causes crenation in cells.
Hypotonic: Lower concentration of solutes outside the cell; can lead to hemolysis.
Isotonic: Equal concentration of solutes in and out of the cell.
Plasmolysis: The process in which cells lose water in a hypertonic solution.
Turgor: Pressure of the cell contents against the cell wall, crucial for plant structure.
Lab Access: All labs will be closed before the practical exam for setup. Students may only enter the labs during their scheduled lab times for testing purposes.