ATP
(adenosine triphosphate) main energy source that cells use for most of their work
amino acid
monomer of proteins
carbohydrate
Class of nutrients that includes sugars and starches
disaccharide
A double sugar molecule made of two monosaccharides bonded together through a condensation reaction.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid. A double-stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule capable of replicating and determining the inherited structure of a cell's proteins.
enzyme
A type of protein that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living thing
fat
A large lipid molecule made from glycerol and three fatty acids; a triglyceride. Most function as energy-storage molecules.
fatty acid
Monomer of lipids, along with glycerol
glucose
C6H12O6
hydrolysis reaction
A chemical reaction that breaks apart a larger molecule by adding a molecule of water
inorganic molecule
Molecules that do not contain the element carbon (in most cases)
ion
A particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative)
atom
Smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element
lipid
Energy-rich organic compounds, such as fats, oils, and waxes, that are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
monomer
A simple compound whose molecules can join together to form polymers
monosaccharide
A single sugar molecule such as glucose or fructose, the simplest type of sugar.
nucleotide
A building block of DNA, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group.
organic molecule
A molecule containing carbon that is a part of or produced by living systems.
polymer
A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together.
polysaccharide
Carbohydrates that are made up of more than two monosaccharides
protein
A three dimensional polymer made of monomers of amino acids.
RNA
Ribonucleic acid.
A type of nucleic acid consisting of nucleotide monomers with a ribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U); usually single-stranded; functions in protein synthesis and as the genome of s
saturated fatty acid
A fatty acid in which all carbons in the hydrocarbon tail are connected by single bonds, thus maximizing the number of hydrogen atoms that can attach to the carbon skeleton.
unsaturated fatty acid
A fatty acid possessing one or more double bonds between the carbons in the hydrocarbon tail. Such bonding reduces the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon skeleton.