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Biology > Chapter 2-3 > Flashcards

Chapter 2-3 Flashcards

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0
Q

Element

A

A substance that cannot be converted to simpler substances by ordinary chemical means.

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1
Q

Metabolism

A

The sum total of the chemical reactions that occur in an organism, or some subset of that total.

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2
Q

Ionic bond

A

An electrostatic attraction between positively and negatively charged ions.

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3
Q

Anabolic reaction

A

A synthetic reaction in which simple molecules are linked to form more complex ones; requires an input of energy and captures it in the chemical bonds that are formed.

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4
Q

Glycosidic linkage

A

Bond between carbohydrate (sugar) molecules through an intervening oxygen atom (—O—).

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5
Q

Electronegativity

A

The tendency of an atom to attract electrons when it occurs as part of a compound.

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6
Q

Anion

A

A negatively charged ion.

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7
Q

Proton

A

A subatomic particle with a single positive charge. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom determine its element.

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8
Q

Reactant

A

A chemical substance that enters into a chemical reaction with another substance.

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9
Q

Hydrophobic

A

Having no affinity for water.

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10
Q

Products

A

The molecules that result from the completion of a chemical reation.

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11
Q

Polymer

A

A large molecule made up of similar or identical subunits called monomers.

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12
Q

Nucleus

A

In cells, the centrally located compartment of eukaryotic cells that is bounded by a double membrane and contains the chromosomes.

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13
Q

Atom

A

The smallest unit of a chemical element. Consists of a nucleus and one or more electrons.

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14
Q

Heat of vaporization

A

The energy that must be supplied to convert a molecule from a liquid to a gas at its boiling point.

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15
Q

Glycerol

A

A three-carbon alcohol with three hydroxyl groups; a component of phospholipids and triglycerides.

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16
Q

Laws of thermodynamics

A

Laws derived from studies of the physical properties of energy and the ways energy interacts with matter.

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17
Q

Functional groups

A

A characteristic combination of atoms that contribute specific properties when attached to larger molecules.

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18
Q

Unsaturated fatty acid

A

A fatty acid whose hydrocarbon chain contains one or more double bonds.

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19
Q

Phospholipid bilayer

A

The basic structural unit of biological membranes; a sheet two molecules thick in which the hydrophobic “tails” are packed tightly together and their hydrophilic, phosphate-containing “heads” face outward.

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20
Q

Hydrogen bond

A

A weak electrostatic bond which arises from the attraction between the slight positive charge on a hydrogen atom and a slight negative charge on a nearby oxygen or nitrogen atom.

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21
Q

Monomer

A

A small molecule, two or more of which can be combined to form oligomers or polymers.

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22
Q

Bohr model

A

A model for atomic structure that depicts the atom as largely empty space, with a central nucleus surrounded by electrons in orbits, or electron shells, at various distances from the nucleus.

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23
Q

Ion

A

An electrically charged particle that forms when an atom gains or loses one or more electrons.

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24
Molecule
A chemical substance made up of two or more atoms joined by covalent bonds or ionic attractions.
25
Bilayer
A structure that is two layers in thickness.
26
Disaccharide
A carbohydrate made up of two monosaccharides (simple sugars).
27
Hydrophilic
Having an affinity for water.
28
Chemical reaction
The change in the composition or distribution of atoms of a substance with consequent alterations in properties.
29
Saturated fatty acid
A fatty acid in which all the bonds between carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain are single bonds.
30
Polysaccharide
A macromolecule composed of many monosaccharides (simple sugars). Common examples are cellulose and starch.
31
Macromolecule
A giant (molecular weight > 1,000) polymeric molecule.
32
Lipid
Nonpolar, hydrophobic molecules that include fats, oils, waxes, steroids, and the phospholipids that make up biological membranes.
33
Phospholid
A lipid containing a phosphate group; an important constituent of cellular membranes.
34
Condensation reaction
A chemical reaction in which two molecules become connected by a covalent bond and a molecule of water is released.
35
Cation
An ion with one or more positive charges.
36
Monosaccharide
A simple sugar.
37
Hydrolysis reaction
A chemical reaction that breaks a bond by inserting the components of water.
38
Amphipathic
Of a molecule, having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.
39
Fatty acid
A molecule made up of a long nonpolar hydrocarbon chain and a polar carboxyl group. Found in many lipids.
40
Atomic number
The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom; also equals the number of electrons around the neutral atom. Determines the chemical properties of the atom.
41
Oligosaccharide
A polymer containing a small number of monosaccharides.
42
Polar covalent bond
A covalent bond in which the electrons are drawn to one nucleus more than the other, resulting in an unequal distribution of charge.
43
Cohesion
The tendency of molecules (or any substances) to stick together.
44
Carbohydrates
Organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the ratio 1:2:1 (i.e., with the general formula Cn(H2O)n). Common examples are sugars, starch, and cellulose.
45
Catabolic reaction
A synthetic reaction in which complex molecules are broken down into simpler ones and energy is released.
46
Triglyceride
A simple lipid in which three fatty acids are combined with one molecule of glycerol.
47
Chemical bond
An attractive force stably linking two atoms.
48
Covalent bond
Chemical bond based on the sharing of electrons between two atoms.
49
Electron
A subatomic particle outside the nucleus carrying a negative charge and very little mass.
50
Neutron
One of the three fundamental particles of matter, with mass slightly larger than that of a proton and no electrical charge.
51
Electron shell
The region surrounding the atomic nucleus at a fixed energy level in which electrons orbit.
52
Competitive inhibitor
A nonsubstrate that binds to the active site of an enzyme and thereby inhibits binding of its substrate.
53
Peptide linkage
The bond between amino acids in a protein; formed between a carboxyl group and amino group (—CO—NH—) with the loss of water molecules.
54
Allosteric regulation
Regulation of the activity of a protein (usually an enzyme) by the binding of an effector molecule to a site other than the active site.
55
Activation energy
The energy barrier that blocks the tendency for a chemical reaction to occur.
56
Pyrimidine
One of the two types of nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids; pairs with a specific purine.
57
Purine
One of the two types of nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids; pairs with a specific pyrimidine.
58
Phosphodiester linkage
The connection in a nucleic acid strand, formed by linking two nucleotides
59
Primary structure
The specific sequence of amino acids in a protein.
60
Complementary base pairing
The AT (or AU), TA (or UA), CG, and GC pairing of bases in double-stranded DNA, in transcription, and between tRNA and mRNA.
61
Base
In nucleic acids, the purine or pyrimidine that is attached to each sugar in the sugar–phosphate backbone.
62
Gene
A unit of heredity. Used here as the unit of genetic function which carries the information for a polypeptide or RNA.
63
Nucleic acid
A polymer made up of nucleotides, specialized for the storage, transmission, and expression of genetic information.
64
Catalyst
A chemical substance that accelerates a reaction without itself being consumed in the overall course of the reaction; lowers the activation energy of a reaction.
65
Pleated sheet
A type of protein secondary structure; results from hydrogen bonding between polypeptide regions running antiparallel to each other.
66
Disulphide bridge
The covalent bond between two sulfur atoms (—S—S—) linking two molecules or remote parts of the same molecule.
67
Thymine
Nitrogen-containing base found in DNA. Pairs with adenine.
68
Noncompetitive inhibutor
A nonsubstrate that inhibits the activity of an enzyme by binding to a site other than its active site.
69
Tertiary structure
In reference to a protein, the relative locations in three-dimensional space of all the atoms in the molecule. The overall shape of a protein.
70
RNA
An often single-stranded nucleic acid whose nucleotides use ribose rather than deoxyribose and in which the base uracil replaces thymine. Serves as genome for some viruses.
71
Quaternary structure
The specific three-dimensional arrangement of protein subunits.
72
Guanine
A nitrogen-containing base found in DNA, RNA, and GTP.
73
Deoxyribose
A five-carbon sugar found in nucleotides and DNA.
74
Feedback inhibition
A mechanism for regulating a metabolic pathway in which the end product of the pathway can bind to and inhibit the enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step in the pathway.
75
Adenine
A nitrogen-containing base found in nucleic acids, ATP, NAD, and other compounds.
76
Nucleotide
The basic chemical unit in nucleic acids, consisting of a pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen-containing base.
77
R group
The distinguishing group of atoms of a particular amino acid.
78
Active site
The region on the surface of an enzyme or ribozyme where the substrate binds, and where catalysis occurs.
79
Cytosine
A nitrogen-containing base found in DNA and RNA. In DNA, pairs with guanine.
80
Genome
The complete DNA sequence for a particular organism or individual.
81
Transition state
In an enzyme-catalyzed reaction, the reactive condition of the substrate after there has been sufficient input of energy (activation energy) to initiate the reaction.
82
Enzyme substrate complex
An intermediate in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction; consists of the enzyme bound to its substrate(s).
83
Helix
A prevalent type of secondary protein structure; a right-handed spiral.
84
Secondary structure
Of a protein, localized regularities of structure, such as the α helix and the β pleated sheet.
85
Amino acid
An organic compound containing both NH2 and COOH groups.
86
Ribose
A five-carbon sugar in nucleotides and RNA.
87
Uracil
A pyrimidine base found only in nucleotides of RNA.
88
Substrate
The molecule or molecules on which an enzyme exerts catalytic action.
89
Denaturation
Loss of activity of an enzyme or nucleic acid molecule as a result of structural changes induced by heat or other means.
90
DNA
The fundamental hereditary material of all living organisms. In eukaryotes, stored primarily in the cell nucleus. A nucleic acid using deoxyribose rather than ribose.

Biology (3 decks)

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