Term | Definition |
carbohydrate | any organic compound that is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and that provides nutrients to the cells of living things |
monosaccharide | a simple sugar that is basic subunit of a carb |
disaccharide | a sugar formed from 2 monosaccharides |
polysaccharide | one of the carbs made up of long chains of simple sugars; includes starch, cellulose, and glycogen |
protein | an organic compound that is made up of 1 or more chains of amino acids and that is a principle component of all cells |
amino acid | any 1 of 20 different organic molecules that contain a carboxyl and an amino group and that combine to form proteins |
peptide bond | the chemical bond that forms between the carboxyl group of 1 amino acid and the amino group of another amino acid |
polypeptide | a long chain of several amino acids |
enzyme | a protein that speeds up metabolic reactions |
substrate | a part, substance, or element that lies beneath and supports another part, substance, or element; the reactant in reactions catalyzed by enzymes |
active site | the site on an enzyme that attaches to a substrate |
lipid | a type of biochemical that does not dissolve in water, including fats and steroids; lipids store energy and make up cell membranes |
fatty acid | organic acid that is contained in lipids, such as fats or oils |
triglyceride | a lipid made of 3 fatty acid molecules and 1 glycerol molecule |
phospholipid | a lipid that contains phosphorus and that is a structural component in cell membranes |
wax | a type of structural lipid consisting of a long fatty acid chain joined to a long alcohol chain |
steroid | a lipid that consists of 4 carbon rings to which various functional groups are attached and that usually has a physiological action |
nucleic acid | an organic compound, either RNA or DNA, whose molecules are made up of 1 or 2 chains of nucleotides and carry genetic info |
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) | contains info that determines the characteristics of an organism and directs its cell activities |
ribonucleic acid (RNA) | stores and transfers info from DNA that is essential for the manufacturing of proteins |
nucleotide | in a nucleic acid chain, a subunit that consists that consists of a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogen base |