Term | Definition |
carbohydrate | organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a ration of about one carbon atom to two hydrogen atoms to one oxygen atom. |
monosaccharide | a monomer of a carbohydrate; a simple sugar that contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio of 1:2:1 |
disaccharide | two monosaccharaides that combine in a condensation reaction to form this double sugar |
polysaccharide | a complex molecule composed of three or more monosaccharaides |
protein | organic compounds composed mainly of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen |
amino acid | these linked together create proteins |
peptide bond | two amino acids forming a covalent bond |
polypeptide | a long chain of amino acids |
enzyme | RNA or protein molecules that act as biological catalysts; essential for the functioning of any cell |
substrate | the reactant being catalyzed |
active site | fold in an enzyme |
lipid | large, nonpolar organic molecules that do not dissolve in water |
fatty acid | unbranched carbon chains that make up most lipids |
phospholipid | have two, rather than three, fatty acids attached to a molecule of glycerol |
wax | a type of structural lipid consisting of a long fatty-acid chain joined to a long alcohol chain |
steroid | composed of four fused carbon rings with various functional groups attached to them |
nucleic acid | very large and complex organic molecules that store and transfer important information in the cell |
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) | contains information that determines the characteristics of an organism and direst its cell activities |
ribonucleic acid (RNA) | stores and transfers information from DNA that is essential for the manufacturing of proteins |
nucleotide | made of three main components; a phosphate group, a five- carbon sugar, and a ring-shaped nitrogenous base |