Chemistry of Life Vocab Flashcards
(31 cards)
nucleus of an atom
part of an atom consisting of the protons and neutrons; center of the atom
proton
A subatomic particle that has a positive charge and that is found in the nucleus of an atom
electron
A subatomic particle that has a negative charge
neutron
A subatomic particle that has no charge and that is found in the nucleus of an atom
ionic bond
A chemical bond resulting from the attraction between oppositely charged ions.
covalent bond
A chemical bond that involves sharing a pair of electrons between atoms in a molecule
hydrogen bond
weak chemical bond formed by the attraction of positively charged hydrogen atoms to other negatively charged atoms
pH scale
A number scale that measures the strength of acids or bases
protein
An organic compound that is made of one or more chains of amino acids and that is a principal component of all cells
nucleic acid
Biological macromolecule that stores and transfer genetic information
lipid
Energy-rich organic compounds, such as fats, oils, and waxes, that are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
carbohydrate
Class of organic compounds containing only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
enzyme
A type of protein that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living thing
cohesion
Attraction between molecules of the same substance
adhesion
An attraction between molecules of different substances
solution
A mixture that forms when one substance dissolves another.
solute
A substance that is dissolved in a solution.
solvent
A liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances
acid
A substance that has a pH below 7
base
A substance that has a pH above 7
monomer
A simple compound whose molecules can join together to form polymers
polymer
A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together.
monosaccharide
A single sugar molecule such as glucose or fructose, the simplest type of sugar.
polysaccharide
Carbohydrates that are made up of more than two monosaccharides
