Ch.2 Chemistry of Biology Flashcards
What is the smallest unit of matter that cannot be broken down by chemical means?
Atom
What is a pure substance composed only of one atom?
Element
What is a substance made of 2 or more different elements joined together by chemical means?
Compound
What is a substance made of 2 atoms joined together by chemical means?
Molecule
What is an atom that has gained or lost and electron?
Ion
What is the name of the attractive force between oppositely charged ions, which form when electrons are transferred from one atom to another?
Ionic Bond
What do you call the bond formed when atoms share one or more pairs of electrons?
Covalent Bond
What is the name of the weak inter molecular force occurring when a hydrogen atom that is bonded to a highly electronegative atom of one molecule is attracted to two unshared electrons of another molecule?
Hydrogen Bond
What is the name of any compound that increases the number of hydrogen ions when dissolved in water?
Acids
What is the name of any compound that absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water?
Base
What is the name of the homogeneous mixture throughout which two or more substances are uniformly dispersed?
Solution
What are the 4 most important biological molecules?
Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids
What is the difference between cohesion and adhesion?
Cohesion attracts 2 of the same kind substances, while Adhesion attracts 2 different kinds of substances together
How does the structure and function of water make it essential for life? Consider its polarity, hydrogen bonding, and properties such as heat capacity, cohesion, adhesion, and density.
The polar molecules, O−H bonds, do not cancel one another. So, since the polar molecules attract - it helps us to break food down, and regulates our body temperature.
What are the 3 parts of a nucleotide?
Phosphate, sugar, and base
