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Chapter 6 Vocabulary
Biochemistry
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acid | Any substance that forms hydrogen ions in water and has a pH below 7. |
| Atom | Smallest particle of an element that has the characteristics of that element;basic building block of all matter |
| Base | Any substance that forms hydroxide ions in water and has a pH above 7 |
| Compound | Substance composed of atoms of two or more different elements that are chemically combined |
| Covalent Bond | Chemical bond formed when two atoms share electrons. |
| Element | Substance that can't be broken down into simpler chemical substances. |
| Ion | Atom or group of atoms that gain or lose electrons;has an electrical charge. |
| Ionic Bond | Chemical bond formed by the attractive forces between two ions of opposite charge. |
| Isotope | Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus. |
| Metabolism | All of the chemical reactions that occur within an organism. |
| Mixture | Combination of substances in which individual componets retain theirown properties. |
| Molecules | Group of atoms held together by covalent bonds;has no overall charge |
| Nucleus | Positively charged center of an atom composed of neutrons and positivily charged protons,and surrounded by negativily charged electrons. |
| pH | Mseasure of how acidic or basic an solution is;the scale ranges from below 0 to above 14;solution with pH above 7 is basic and below is acidic. |
| Solution | Mixture in which one or more substances are distributed evenly in another substance. |
| Diffusion | Net random movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration,eventually resulting in even distribution. |
| Dynamic Equilibrium | Result of diffusion where there is continuous movement of particles but no overall change in concentration. |
| Hydrogen Bond | Weak chemical bond formed by the attraction of positively charged hydrogen atoms to other negatively charged atoms. |
| Polar Molecule | Molecule with an unequal distribution of charge,resulting |
| Amino Acid | Basic building blocks of protein molecules |
| Carbohydrate | Organic compound used by cells to store and release energy ;composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. |
| Enzyme | Type of protein found in all living things that changes the rate of chemical reactions. |
| Isomer | Compounds with the same simple formula but different three-dimensional structures resulting in different physical and chemical properties. |
| Lipid | Large organic compounds made mostly of carbon and hydrogen with a small amount of oxygen;examples are fats, oils, waxes, and steroids;are insoluble in water and used by cells for energy storage, insulation. and protective coatings, such as membranes. |
| Nucleic Acid | Complex biomolecules, such as DNA and RNA, that store cellular infomtion in the cells in the form of code. |
| Nucleotide | Subunits of nucleic acid formed from a simple sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base. |
| Peptide Bond | Covalent bond formed between amino acids. |
| Polymer | Large molecule formed when many smaller molecules bond together. |
| Protein | Large, complex polymer essential to all life composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfer; provides strcuture for tissues and organs and helps carry out cell metabolism. |