biochem vocab 1

Question 1

buffer

Answer 1

substance that resists a change in pH by absorbing or releasing hydrogen or hydroxide ions

Question 2

chemical equilibrium

Answer 2

rate of forward reaction equals rate of reverse reaction

Question 3

cohesion

Answer 3

intermolecular forces between water molecules cause by the polar nature of water; responsible for surface tension

Question 4

dehydration reaction

Answer 4

releases H2O in the process of fusing two molecules

Question 5

hydrogen bond

Answer 5

weak bond between slightly positively charged hydrogen atoms and slightly negatively charged atoms in other molecules

Question 6

hydrolysis reaction

Answer 6

uses H2O to split a molecule

Question 7

hydrophilic

Answer 7

describes ions or polar molecules that interact well with polar molecules such as water

Question 8

hydrophobic

Answer 8

describes uncharged non-polar molecules that do not interact well with polar molecules such as water

Question 9

isotope

Answer 9

one or more forms of an element that have different numbers of neutrons

Question 10

nonpolar covalent bond

Answer 10

type of covalent bond that forms between atoms when electrons are shared equally between them

Question 11

pH

Answer 11

potential of hydrogen; scale to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution

Question 12

polar covalent bond

Answer 12

type of covalent bond that forms as a result of unequal sharing of electrons, resulting in the creation of slightly positive and slightly negative charged regions of the molecule

Question 13

specific heat

Answer 13

heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a given substance by 1 degree Celsius