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Chapter 6 Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Atom | Building block of matter; contains subatomic particles-neutrons, protons, and electrons. |
| Compound | Pure substance with unique properties; formed when two or more different elements combine. |
| Covalent bond | Type of chemical bond formed when atoms share electrons. |
| Electron | Negatively charged particle that occupies space around an atom's nucleus. |
| Element | Pure substance composed of only one type of atom; cannot be broken down into another substance by physical or chemical means. |
| Ion | Atom that is negatively or positively charged because it has lost or gained one or more electrons. |
| Ionic bond | Electrical attraction between two oppositely charged atoms or groups of atoms. |
| Isotope | Two or more atoms of the same element having different numbers of neutrons. |
| Molecule | Compound whose atoms are held together by covalent bonds. |
| Neutron | Particle without a charge in an atom's nucleus. |
| Nucleus | Center of an atom; contains neutrons and protons. |
| Proton | Positively charged particle in an atom's nucleus. |
| van der Waals force | Attractive forces between molecules. |
| Activation energy | Minimum amount of energy needed for reactants to form products in a chemical reaction. |
| Active site | Specific place where a substrate binds on an enzyme. |
| Catalyst | Substance that speeds up a chemical reaction by reducing the activation energy. |
| Chemical reaction | Energy-requiring process by which atoms or groups of atoms in substances are changed into different substances. |
| Enzyme | Protein that speeds up a biological reaction by lowering the activation energy needed to start the reactio. |
| Product | Substance formed by a chemical reaction; located on the right side of the arrow in a chemical equation. |
| Reactant | Substance that exists before a chemical reaction starts; located on the left side of the arrow in a chemical equation. |
| Substrate | Reactant to which an enzyme binds. |
| Acid | Substance that releases hydrogen ions when dissolved in water; an acidic solution has a pH less than 7. |
| Base | Substance that releases hydroxide ions when dissolved in water; a basic solution has a pH greater than 7. |
| Buffer | Mixture that can react with an acid or a base to maintain the pH within a specific range. |
| Hydrogen bond | Weak electrostatic bond formed by the attraction of opposite charges between a hydrogen atom and an oxygen, fluorine, or nitrogen atom. |
| Mixture | Combination of two or more different substances in which each substance keeps its individual characteristics; can have a uniform composition (homogeneous) or have distinct areas of substances (heterogeneous). |
| pH | Measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. |
| Polar Molecule | Molecule with oppositely charged regions. |
| Solute | Substance in which another substance is dissolved. |
| Solution | Homogeneous mixture formed when a substance (the solute) is dissolved in another substance (the solvent). |
| Solvent | Substance in which another substance is dissolved. |
| Amino acid | Carbon compound joined by peptide bonds; building block of proteins. |
| Carbohydrate | Organic compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a ratio of one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms for each carbon atom. |
| Lipid | Hydrophobic biological molecule composed mostly of carbon and hydrogen; fats, oils, and waxes are lipids. |
| Macromolecule | Large molecule formed by joining smaller organic molecules together. |
| Nucleic acid | Complex macromolecule that stores and communicates genetic information. |
| Nucleotide | A subnit of nucleic acid formed form a simple sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. |
| Polymer | Large molecule formed from smaller repeating units of identical, or nearly identical, compounds linked by covalent bonds. |
| Protein | Organic compound made of amino acids joined by peptide bonds; primary building block of organisms. |