Chapter 2 Biology Vocabulary

Cohesion

Attraction between molecules of the same substance

Adhesion

Attraction between molecules of different substances; in plants, attraction between unlike molecules

Mixture

Material composed of two or more elements or compounds that are physically mixed together but not chemically combined

Solution

Mixture of two or more substances in which the molecules of the substances are evenly distributed

Solute

Substance that is dissolved in a solvent to make a solutions

Solvent

Substance in which a solute is dissolved to form a solution

Suspensions

Mixture of water and nondissolved materials

pH Scale

Measurement system used to indicated the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in solution; ranges from 0 to 14

Acid

Compound that forms hydrogen ions (H+) in solution

Base

Compound that produces hydrogen ions (OH+) in solution

Buffers

Weak acid or base that can react with strong aids or bases to help prevent sharp, sudden changes in pH

Monomers

Small unit that can join together with other small units to form polymers

Polymers

Large compound formed from combinations of many monomers

Carbohydrates

Compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atom; major source of energy for the human body

Monosaccharides

Single sugar molecule

Polysaccharides

Large macromolecule formed from monosaccharides

Lipids

Macromolecule made mainly from carbon and hydrogen atoms; includes fats, oils, and waxes

Nucleic Acids

Macromolecule containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus.

Nucleotides

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

RNA

Single-stranded nucleic acid that contains the sugar ribose

DNA

Nucleic acid that contains the sugar deoxyribose

Proteins

Macromolecule that contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen; needed by the body for growth and repair and to makeup enzymes.

Amino Acids

Compound with an amino group (-NH2) on one end and a carboxyl group (-COOH) on the other end

Chemical Reactions

Process that changes one set of chemicals into another set of chemicals.

Reactants

Element of compound that enters into a chemical reaction

Products

Elements or compound produced by a chemical reactions

Activation Energy

Energy needed to get a reaction started

Catalyst

Substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction

Enzymes

Protein that acts as a biological catalyst