biochemistry Flashcards
what are atoms comprised of?
protons, neutrons and electrons.
what are isotopes?
variants of atoms which have a different number of neutrons.
what is the valence shell?
the outermost shell of an atom.
what indicated stability in an atom?
the number of electrons it has its outer shell.
what is an ion?
an imbalanced atom that has a positive or negative charge.
what is a covalent bond?
bonds made between electrons- number of electrons=number of possible covalent bonds.
what is a non-polar covalent bond?
involve electrons being shared equally between atoms when bonded
what is a polar covalent bond?
one atom keeps hold of all the electrons
what is pKa?
the point around which the charge of a substance swings when trying to find equilibrium.
what is a chemical buffer?
a substance that releases/takes up H+ in order to maintain equilibrium.
what is a mole?
the weight of an atom- weight of its neutrons and protons.
what is a molar?
1mol in 1L of water.
what is pH?
the concentration of H+ in a solution.
what is the equation for pH?
pH= -log[H+]
