Unit 1: Chemistry of Life Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is an element?
A substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by chemical reactions.
How many naturally occuring elements are there?
100
What are the 4 elements most important to life?
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
What is a non-polar covalent bond?
A covalent bond between atoms in which the electrons are equally shared
What is a covalent bond?
A bond between atoms sharing electrons
What is a polar covalent bond?
A covalent bond in which the electrons are shared unequally (spending more time with one atom than another). This causes the other atom to become more electronegative than the other.
What is a hydrogen bond?
A weak, intermolecular bond between a hydrogen atom in one molecule and an electronegative atom/molecule. This kind of bonding is responsible for many of the properties of water.
True or False: Water is nonpolar.
False; Water is a polar molecule. The oxygen is (mostly) negative, and the hydrogen is (mostly) positive.
What is cohesion?
Water molecules loosely sticking together. (Responsible for water’s liquid state)
What is adhesion?
Water molecules sticking to other substances.
What are the properties of water?
1) Hydrogen bonding
2) Cohesion
3) Adhesion
4) High specific heat
5) Solid < dense than liquid
6) The “universal” solvent
What does it mean for water to have high specific heat?
Water absorbs a lot of heat before there is enough to break the hydrogen bonds, allowing it to evaporate. This allows for a moderating climate, homeostasis of the body’s temperature, and evaporative cooling.
True or False: Water is known as the universal solvent
True; Water is capable of dissolving ionic compounds and many molecules.
Why is carbon the most common element in nature?
Because it is naturally capable of forming large, complex and stable molecules
What are functional groups?
Covalent combinations of atoms that impart specific properties
What is a hydroxyl group, and what properties does it have?
A hydroxyl group is a bonded OH.
Its polar, as well as hydrophilic, and forms hydrogen bonds with other chemicals.
What is a carboxyl group, and what properties does it have?
A carboxyl group is a bonded COOH.
It’s acidic, and donates a proton.
What is an amino group, and what properties does it have?
A bonded NHsub2, or NHsub3 +.
It constitutes the base of an amino acid. It’s basic, and takes a proton.
What is a sulfhydryl group, and what properties does it have?
A sulfhydryl group is a bonded SH.
It stabilizes proteins, helping to create strong bonds within the protein.
What are the 4 big macromolecule groups?
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
What are some traits of carbohydrates?
A) Made of sugar monomers
B) Used to store short-term energy
What are some traits of lipids?
A) Lipids are made up of fatty acids, and because fatty acids don’t really count as monomers, lipids are not true polymers
B) Lipids are used in cell membranes, and to store long-term energy. (think fat)
What are some traits of nucleic acids?
Made up of nucleotides, and encode important information (like genes)
What are some traits of proteins?
A) The building blocks of the body
B) Made of amino acids
C) Has four levels of structure
