Biology: Chemistry of Life

acid

compound that forms hydrogen ions (H+) in solution

activation energy

the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction

Adhesion

An attraction between molecules of different substances

amino acid

Building blocks of protein

atom

Basic unit of matter

base

A substance that decreases the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution.

Buffer

A solution that minimizes changes in pH when extraneous acids or bases are added to the solution.

Carbohydrate

compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms; major source of energy for the human body-> breaks down into glucose

catalyst

(n.) a substance that causes or hastens a chemical reaction; any agent that causes change

Cohesion

Attraction between molecules of the same substance

compound

A substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds

covalent bond

A chemical bond that involves sharing a pair of electrons between atoms in a molecule

eletron

Negatively charged particle found in the electron cloud outside of the nucleus

element

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances

Homeostasis

A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level

hydrogen bond

Attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen atom and a slightly negative atom.

ion

An atom or group of atoms that has a positive or negative charge.

ionic bond

Formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another

isotope

An atom with the same number of protons and a different number of neutrons from other atoms of the same element.

Lipid

Energy-rich organic compounds, such as fats, oils, and waxes, that are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

mixture

A combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined

Molecule

A group of atoms bonded together

Monomer

A simple compound whose molecules can join together to form polymers

Monosaccharides

Single sugar molecules

nucleic acid

macromolecule containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus(DNA or RNA)

Nucleotide

monomer of nucleic acids made up of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base

Nucleus

Center of an atom or the brain of a cell

pH scale

scale with values from 0 to 14, used to measure the concentration of H+ ions in a solution; a pH of 0 to 7 is acidic, a pH of 7 is neutral, and a pH of 7 to 14 is basic

polarity

Molecules having uneven distribution of charges

polymer

large compound formed from combinations of many monomers

product

A substance produced in a chemical reaction

Protein

An organic compound that is made of one or more chains of amino acids and that is a principal component of all cells

reactant

A chemical substance that is present at the start of a chemical reaction

Solute

A substance that is dissolved in a solution.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture of two or more substances

solvent

A liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances

Substrate

A specific reactant acted upon by an enzyme

Suspension

A mixture in which particles can be seen and easily separated by settling or filtration

van der Waals forces

the two weakest intermolecular attractions- dispersion interactions and dipole forces

water

universal solvent or H2O