Term | Definition |
polarity | unequal sharing of electrons |
hydrogen bond | the attraction between a hydrogen atom on one molecule and the atom on another |
covalent bond | the sharing of electron pairs between atoms |
iconic bond | when one atom gives up one or more electrons to another atom |
cohesion | a bond between molecules of the same substance |
surface tension | the attractive force exerted upon the surface molecules of a liquid by the molecules beneath |
adhesion | a bond between molecules of different substances |
capillary action | the movement of liquid along a surface of a solid caused by the attraction of molecules of the liquid to the molecules of the solid |
heat capacity | the amount of heat energy required to increase its temperature |
solvent | the substance in which the solute dissolves |
ion | a charged particle |
diffusion | the processes by which particles move from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration |
equilibrium | a state of physical balance |
facilitated diffusion | when molecules that cannot directly diffuse across the membrane pass through special protein channels |
osmosis | the movement of water through cell membranes by facilitated diffusion |
carbohydrates | compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, usually in a ratio of 1 : 2 : 1 |
lipids | made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms and are generally not soluble in water |
nucleic acids | macromolecules containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus |
proteins | macromolecules that contain nitrogen as well as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen |
amino acids | compounds with an amino group (-NH2) on one end and a carboxyl group (-COOH) on the other end |