Biology Vocab Terms 2b-3a Flashcards
Acid
A substance that increases the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution
Base
A substance that decreases the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution
Buffer
A chemical substance that minimizes changes in pH by accepting hydrogen ions from or donating hydrogen ions to solutions
Chemical Reaction
The making and breaking of chemical bonds, leading to changes in the composition of matter
Cohesion
The sticking together of molecules of the same kind, often by hydrogen bonds
Heat
Thermal energy in transfer from one body of matter to another
pH scale
A measure of the acidity of a solution, ranging in value from 0 (most acidic) to 14 (most basic). The letters pH stand for potential hydrogen and refer to the concentration of hydrogen ions
Product
An ending material in a chemical reaction
Reactants
A starting material in a chemical reaction
Solute
A substance that is dissolved in a solution
Solution
A liquid that is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances
Surface Tension
A measure of how difficult it is to stretch or break the surface of a liquid. Water has a high surface tension because of the hydrogen bonding of surface molecules
Temperature
A measure in degrees of the average thermal energy of the atoms and molecules in a body of matter
Carbohydrate
Member of the class of biological molecules consisting of single monomer sugars, two monomer sugars, and polymers
Carbon Skeleton
The backbones of organic molecules
Cellulose
A structural polysaccharide of plant cell walls composed of glucose monomers. Cellulose molecules are linked by hydrogen bonds into cable like fibrils
Chitin
A structural polysaccharide found in many fungal cell walls and in the exoskeletons of arthropods
Dehydration Reaction
A chemical reaction in which two molecules become covalently bonded to each other with the removal of a water molecule
Disaccharide
A sugar molecule consisting of two monosaccharides linked by a dehydration reaction
Enzyme
A macromolecule, usually a protein, that serves as a biological catalyst, changing the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed by the reaction
Fat
A lipid composed of three fatty acids linked to one glycerol molecule; a triglyceride. Most fats function as energy storage molecules
Functional Group
A specific configuration of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules and involved in chemical reactions.
Glycogen
An extensively branched glucose storage polysaccaride found in liver and muscle cells; the animal equivalent of starch
Hydrocarbon
An organic compound composed only of the elements carbon and hydrogen