The Chemistry of Life

Chemistry of Life Study Guide

This study guide captures essential chemistry terms, definitions, and concepts related to biological structures and processes, compiled from the provided transcript.

Basic Definitions

  1. Matter: Anything that has mass and takes up space (has volume).
  2. Atomic Number: The number of protons in an atom, unique to each type of atom.
  3. Element: A collection of atoms that all have the same number of protons.
  4. Periodic Table: A table of the chemical elements arranged in order of atomic number.
  5. Isotope: One of several forms of an element, each containing the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.
  6. Mass Number: The sum of the protons and neutrons in an atom.
  7. Compound: Chemicals that result when two or more atoms join together chemically.
  8. Molecule: A molecule that contains atoms of at least two different elements.
  9. Ionic Bond: A chemical bond formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another.
  10. Ion: Positively or negatively charged atoms resulting from the transfer of electrons.
  11. Covalent Bond: A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electrons between two or more atoms.
  12. Polar Molecule: A molecule in which there is an unequal distribution of the negatively charged electrons, causing a partial positive charge at one end and a partial negative charge at the other.

Solutions and Tests

Terms and Definitions

  1. Hydrogen Bonds: A weak electrical attraction between a partially positive hydrogen atom and a partially negative atom of another molecule (usually oxygen or nitrogen).
  2. Solvent: A substance in which other substances are dissolved; for example, water.
  3. Solute: A dissolved substance.
  4. Solution: A mixture of solutes dissolved in a solvent.
  5. Aqueous Solution: A solution in which water is the solvent.
  6. Cohesion: An attractive force that holds molecules of the same substance together.
  7. Adhesion: An attractive force that holds molecules of different substances together.
  8. Heat Capacity: The amount of heat energy required to increase the temperature of a substance.
  9. Organic Molecules: Molecules found in living organisms that contain carbon in rings or long chains, attached to other atoms like hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and/or phosphorus.
  10. Biosynthesis: The process by which living organisms produce larger molecules from smaller ones.
  11. Isomers: Two different molecules that have the same chemical formula.
  12. Monosaccharides: The building blocks of more complex carbohydrates, also called simple sugars.
  13. Disaccharides: Carbohydrates that are made up of two monosaccharides.
  14. Polysaccharides: Carbohydrates that are made up of more than two monosaccharides.
  15. Dehydration Reaction: A chemical reaction in which molecules combine by removing water.
  16. Starch: A polysaccharide consisting of many glucose molecules stored in plants.
  17. Glycogen: A polysaccharide consisting of many glucose molecules stored in animals.
  18. Cellulose: A polysaccharide consisting of many glucose molecules found in the cell wall of plants.
  19. Hydrolysis: Breaking down complex molecules by the chemical addition of water.
  20. Hydrophobic: Lacking any affinity to water; from the Latin meaning "water-fearing".
  21. Saturated Fat: A lipid made from fatty acids that have no double bonds between their carbon atoms.
  22. Unsaturated Fat: A lipid made from fatty acids that have at least one double bond between their carbon atoms.

Advanced Concepts

Proteins and Enzymes

  1. Amino Acids: The building blocks of proteins, each containing a carboxyl group and an amino group.
  2. Peptide Bond: A bond that links amino acids together in a protein.
  3. Activation Energy: The energy needed to get reactions started.
  4. Active Site: Area of an enzyme to which a specific substrate fits.
  5. Substrate: A specific reactant acted on by an enzyme.
  6. Denaturation: The process in which the normal shape of a protein is lost, usually due to heat, affecting its function.

Nucleotides and DNA

  1. Nucleotides: The building blocks of DNA and RNA, consisting of a phosphate group, sugar, and base.
  2. DNA Storage: DNA stores information as a sequence of nucleotide bases, akin to how written language encodes information.
  3. Hydrogen Bonds in DNA: Hydrogen bonds between the nucleotide bases hold the two helices of DNA together.

Miscellaneous Concepts

  1. pH Scale: Measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A pH of 7 is neutral; lower than 7 is acidic, and higher than 7 is alkaline. The lower the pH, the more acidic the solution, and vice versa.
  2. Lock and Key Theory: Enzymes have an active site specifically shaped for a particular substrate; only substrates that fit this shape can interact with the enzyme, emphasizing enzyme specificity.