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Biochemistry
Biochemistry Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Biochemistry | the branch of science concerned with the chemical and physicochemical processes that occur within living organisms. |
Element | a part or aspect of something abstract, especially one that is essential or characteristic. |
Compound | a thing that is composed of two or more separate elements; a mixture. |
Organic compounds | are compounds that contain both carbon and hydrogen. |
Inorganic compounds | Compounds that do not contain both carbon and hydrogen. |
Carbohydrates | are made up of the elements carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. |
Lipids | include fats and oils. Lipids, like carbohydrates, contain the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. |
Proteins | are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Some proteins also contain sulfur. |
Enzymes | are proteins that act as catalysts in living cells. |
Nucleic acids | a complex organic substance present in living cells, especially DNA or RNA, whose molecules consist of many nucleotides linked in a long chain. |
Hydrolysis | the chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water. |
Synthesis | the combination of ideas to form a theory or system. |
pH | a figure expressing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale on which 7 is neutral, lower values are more acid, and higher values more alkaline. |