Biochemistry Flashcards
Enzymes and Sciency stuff
Carbohydrates
Organic compounds in food or living tissue composed of sugars and starch.
Lipids
Organic compounds that consist of fatty acids.
Proteins
Organic compounds that consist of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids.
Nucleic Acids
DNA or RNA
Elements
Cannot be broken down into more fundamental substances.
Compounds
A mixture.
Organic Compounds
Any chemical compound that contains carbon.
Ions
An atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.
Isotopes
Same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei.
Chemical Bonds
A bond between multiple atoms.
Chemical Reactions
A process that involves rearrangement of the molecular or ionic structure of a substance.
Enzyme
A catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.
Metabolism
The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.
Homeostasis
The tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements.
Solution
A liquid mixture in which the minor component (the solute) is uniformly distributed within the major component (the solvent).
Acid
A chemical substance that neutralizes alkalis.
Base
substances that, in aqueous solution, release hydroxide ions, are slippery to the touch, can taste bitter if an alkali.
pH Scale
Scale to show how basic or acidic a mixture is.
Atomic Number
The number that shows where an element is organized on the periodic table.
Atomic Mass
The weight of an element.
