Term | Definition |
acid | a molecule that can donate a proton or accept an electron pair in reactions |
adenosine triphosphate | a nucleotide that contains a large amount of chemical energy stored in its high-energy phosphate bonds; energy used for many metabolic processes |
amino acid | a simple organic compound containing both a carboxyl (—COOH) and an amino (—NH2) group |
base | bases describe solutions with a pH greater than 7; opposite of an acid |
buffer | a solution that can maintain a nearly constant pH if it is diluted |
carbohydrate | any of a large group of organic compounds occurring in foods and living tissues and including sugars, starch, and cellulose |
complementary base pairing | describes the manner in which the nitrogenous bases of the DNA molecules align with each other |
dehydration synthesis | when monomers combine with each other via covalent bonds to form larger molecules known as polymers |
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) | the molecule that carries genetic information in all living systems |
dipeptide | a peptide composed of two amino-acid residues. |
disaccharide | any of a class of sugars whose molecules contain two monosaccharide residues |
double helix | a pair of parallel helices intertwined about a common axis, especially that in the structure of the DNA molecule |
hemoglobin | a red protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood of vertebrates |
hydrogen bonding | the electrostatic attraction between polar molecules that occurs when a hydrogen (H) atom bound to a highly electronegative atom |
hydrolysis | the chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water |
lipid | any of a class of organic compounds that are fatty acids or their derivatives and are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents |
monomer | a molecule that can be bonded to other identical molecules to form a polymer |
monosaccharide | any of the class of sugars (e.g., glucose) that cannot be hydrolyzed to give a simpler sugar |
neutral fat | produced by the dehydration synthesis of one or more fatty acids with an alcohol like glycerol |
nucleic acids | a complex organic substance present in living cells, especially DNA or RNA |
nucleotide | a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group |
organic | of, relating to, or derived from living matter |
peptide bond | a chemical bond formed between two molecules when the carboxyl group of one molecule reacts with the amino group of the other molecule, releasing a molecule of water |
pH | a numeric scale used to specify the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, whether it is an acid or a base |
phospholipid | a lipid containing a phosphate group in its molecule |
polarity | a separation of electric charge leading to a molecule having a dipole or multipole moment |
polymer | a substance that has a molecular structure consisting a number of similar units bonded together |
polypeptide | a polymer consisting of a large number of amino-acid residues bonded together in a chain |
polysaccharide | a carbohydrate (e.x: cellulose) whose molecules consist of a number of sugar molecules bonded together |
primary structure | the sequence of amino acids forming a protein or polypeptide chain |
protein | any nitrogenous organic compound that consists of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids |
quaternary structure | the number and arrangement of multiple folded protein subunits in a multi-subunit complex |
R-group | an abbreviation for any group in which a carbon or hydrogen atom is attached to the rest of the molecule |
ribonucleic acid (RNA) | present in all living cells; acts as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins |
saturated fatty acid | a fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids |
secondary structure | 2D structure adopted by a polynucleotide or polypeptide chain |
solvent | liquid in which a solute is dissolved to form a solution |
starch | odorless tasteless white substance occurring widely in plant tissue; a polysaccharide that functions as a carbohydrate store |
steroid | any of a large class of organic compounds with a molecular structure containing four rings of carbon atoms |
tertiary structure | 3D structure resulting from folding and covalent cross-linking of a protein or polynucleotide molecule |
unsaturated fatty acid | a fat or fatty acid in which there is at least one double bond within the fatty acid chain (monounsaturated if contains one double bond, polyunsaturated if multiple) |
nitrogenous base | a molecule containing nitrogen that has the same chemical properties as a base |