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Biology > Chapter 2-3 > Flashcards

Chapter 2-3 Flashcards

0
Q

Element

A

A substance that cannot be converted to simpler substances by ordinary chemical means.

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1
Q

Metabolism

A

The sum total of the chemical reactions that occur in an organism, or some subset of that total.

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2
Q

Ionic bond

A

An electrostatic attraction between positively and negatively charged ions.

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3
Q

Anabolic reaction

A

A synthetic reaction in which simple molecules are linked to form more complex ones; requires an input of energy and captures it in the chemical bonds that are formed.

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4
Q

Glycosidic linkage

A

Bond between carbohydrate (sugar) molecules through an intervening oxygen atom (—O—).

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5
Q

Electronegativity

A

The tendency of an atom to attract electrons when it occurs as part of a compound.

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6
Q

Anion

A

A negatively charged ion.

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7
Q

Proton

A

A subatomic particle with a single positive charge. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom determine its element.

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8
Q

Reactant

A

A chemical substance that enters into a chemical reaction with another substance.

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9
Q

Hydrophobic

A

Having no affinity for water.

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10
Q

Products

A

The molecules that result from the completion of a chemical reation.

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11
Q

Polymer

A

A large molecule made up of similar or identical subunits called monomers.

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12
Q

Nucleus

A

In cells, the centrally located compartment of eukaryotic cells that is bounded by a double membrane and contains the chromosomes.

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13
Q

Atom

A

The smallest unit of a chemical element. Consists of a nucleus and one or more electrons.

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14
Q

Heat of vaporization

A

The energy that must be supplied to convert a molecule from a liquid to a gas at its boiling point.

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15
Q

Glycerol

A

A three-carbon alcohol with three hydroxyl groups; a component of phospholipids and triglycerides.

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16
Q

Laws of thermodynamics

A

Laws derived from studies of the physical properties of energy and the ways energy interacts with matter.

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17
Q

Functional groups

A

A characteristic combination of atoms that contribute specific properties when attached to larger molecules.

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18
Q

Unsaturated fatty acid

A

A fatty acid whose hydrocarbon chain contains one or more double bonds.

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19
Q

Phospholipid bilayer

A

The basic structural unit of biological membranes; a sheet two molecules thick in which the hydrophobic “tails” are packed tightly together and their hydrophilic, phosphate-containing “heads” face outward.

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20
Q

Hydrogen bond

A

A weak electrostatic bond which arises from the attraction between the slight positive charge on a hydrogen atom and a slight negative charge on a nearby oxygen or nitrogen atom.

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21
Q

Monomer

A

A small molecule, two or more of which can be combined to form oligomers or polymers.

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22
Q

Bohr model

A

A model for atomic structure that depicts the atom as largely empty space, with a central nucleus surrounded by electrons in orbits, or electron shells, at various distances from the nucleus.

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23
Q

Ion

A

An electrically charged particle that forms when an atom gains or loses one or more electrons.

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24
Q

Molecule

A

A chemical substance made up of two or more atoms joined by covalent bonds or ionic attractions.

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25
Q

Bilayer

A

A structure that is two layers in thickness.

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26
Q

Disaccharide

A

A carbohydrate made up of two monosaccharides (simple sugars).

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27
Q

Hydrophilic

A

Having an affinity for water.

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28
Q

Chemical reaction

A

The change in the composition or distribution of atoms of a substance with consequent alterations in properties.

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29
Q

Saturated fatty acid

A

A fatty acid in which all the bonds between carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain are single bonds.

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30
Q

Polysaccharide

A

A macromolecule composed of many monosaccharides (simple sugars). Common examples are cellulose and starch.

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31
Q

Macromolecule

A

A giant (molecular weight > 1,000) polymeric molecule.

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32
Q

Lipid

A

Nonpolar, hydrophobic molecules that include fats, oils, waxes, steroids, and the phospholipids that make up biological membranes.

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33
Q

Phospholid

A

A lipid containing a phosphate group; an important constituent of cellular membranes.

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34
Q

Condensation reaction

A

A chemical reaction in which two molecules become connected by a covalent bond and a molecule of water is released.

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35
Q

Cation

A

An ion with one or more positive charges.

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36
Q

Monosaccharide

A

A simple sugar.

37
Q

Hydrolysis reaction

A

A chemical reaction that breaks a bond by inserting the components of water.

38
Q

Amphipathic

A

Of a molecule, having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.

39
Q

Fatty acid

A

A molecule made up of a long nonpolar hydrocarbon chain and a polar carboxyl group. Found in many lipids.

40
Q

Atomic number

A

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom; also equals the number of electrons around the neutral atom. Determines the chemical properties of the atom.

41
Q

Oligosaccharide

A

A polymer containing a small number of monosaccharides.

42
Q

Polar covalent bond

A

A covalent bond in which the electrons are drawn to one nucleus more than the other, resulting in an unequal distribution of charge.

43
Q

Cohesion

A

The tendency of molecules (or any substances) to stick together.

44
Q

Carbohydrates

A

Organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the ratio 1:2:1 (i.e., with the general formula Cn(H2O)n). Common examples are sugars, starch, and cellulose.

45
Q

Catabolic reaction

A

A synthetic reaction in which complex molecules are broken down into simpler ones and energy is released.

46
Q

Triglyceride

A

A simple lipid in which three fatty acids are combined with one molecule of glycerol.

47
Q

Chemical bond

A

An attractive force stably linking two atoms.

48
Q

Covalent bond

A

Chemical bond based on the sharing of electrons between two atoms.

49
Q

Electron

A

A subatomic particle outside the nucleus carrying a negative charge and very little mass.

50
Q

Neutron

A

One of the three fundamental particles of matter, with mass slightly larger than that of a proton and no electrical charge.

51
Q

Electron shell

A

The region surrounding the atomic nucleus at a fixed energy level in which electrons orbit.

52
Q

Competitive inhibitor

A

A nonsubstrate that binds to the active site of an enzyme and thereby inhibits binding of its substrate.

53
Q

Peptide linkage

A

The bond between amino acids in a protein; formed between a carboxyl group and amino group (—CO—NH—) with the loss of water molecules.

54
Q

Allosteric regulation

A

Regulation of the activity of a protein (usually an enzyme) by the binding of an effector molecule to a site other than the active site.

55
Q

Activation energy

A

The energy barrier that blocks the tendency for a chemical reaction to occur.

56
Q

Pyrimidine

A

One of the two types of nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids; pairs with a specific purine.

57
Q

Purine

A

One of the two types of nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids; pairs with a specific pyrimidine.

58
Q

Phosphodiester linkage

A

The connection in a nucleic acid strand, formed by linking two nucleotides

59
Q

Primary structure

A

The specific sequence of amino acids in a protein.

60
Q

Complementary base pairing

A

The AT (or AU), TA (or UA), CG, and GC pairing of bases in double-stranded DNA, in transcription, and between tRNA and mRNA.

61
Q

Base

A

In nucleic acids, the purine or pyrimidine that is attached to each sugar in the sugar–phosphate backbone.

62
Q

Gene

A

A unit of heredity. Used here as the unit of genetic function which carries the information for a polypeptide or RNA.

63
Q

Nucleic acid

A

A polymer made up of nucleotides, specialized for the storage, transmission, and expression of genetic information.

64
Q

Catalyst

A

A chemical substance that accelerates a reaction without itself being consumed in the overall course of the reaction; lowers the activation energy of a reaction.

65
Q

Pleated sheet

A

A type of protein secondary structure; results from hydrogen bonding between polypeptide regions running antiparallel to each other.

66
Q

Disulphide bridge

A

The covalent bond between two sulfur atoms (—S—S—) linking two molecules or remote parts of the same molecule.

67
Q

Thymine

A

Nitrogen-containing base found in DNA. Pairs with adenine.

68
Q

Noncompetitive inhibutor

A

A nonsubstrate that inhibits the activity of an enzyme by binding to a site other than its active site.

69
Q

Tertiary structure

A

In reference to a protein, the relative locations in three-dimensional space of all the atoms in the molecule. The overall shape of a protein.

70
Q

RNA

A

An often single-stranded nucleic acid whose nucleotides use ribose rather than deoxyribose and in which the base uracil replaces thymine. Serves as genome for some viruses.

71
Q

Quaternary structure

A

The specific three-dimensional arrangement of protein subunits.

72
Q

Guanine

A

A nitrogen-containing base found in DNA, RNA, and GTP.

73
Q

Deoxyribose

A

A five-carbon sugar found in nucleotides and DNA.

74
Q

Feedback inhibition

A

A mechanism for regulating a metabolic pathway in which the end product of the pathway can bind to and inhibit the enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step in the pathway.

75
Q

Adenine

A

A nitrogen-containing base found in nucleic acids, ATP, NAD, and other compounds.

76
Q

Nucleotide

A

The basic chemical unit in nucleic acids, consisting of a pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen-containing base.

77
Q

R group

A

The distinguishing group of atoms of a particular amino acid.

78
Q

Active site

A

The region on the surface of an enzyme or ribozyme where the substrate binds, and where catalysis occurs.

79
Q

Cytosine

A

A nitrogen-containing base found in DNA and RNA. In DNA, pairs with guanine.

80
Q

Genome

A

The complete DNA sequence for a particular organism or individual.

81
Q

Transition state

A

In an enzyme-catalyzed reaction, the reactive condition of the substrate after there has been sufficient input of energy (activation energy) to initiate the reaction.

82
Q

Enzyme substrate complex

A

An intermediate in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction; consists of the enzyme bound to its substrate(s).

83
Q

Helix

A

A prevalent type of secondary protein structure; a right-handed spiral.

84
Q

Secondary structure

A

Of a protein, localized regularities of structure, such as the α helix and the β pleated sheet.

85
Q

Amino acid

A

An organic compound containing both NH2 and COOH groups.

86
Q

Ribose

A

A five-carbon sugar in nucleotides and RNA.

87
Q

Uracil

A

A pyrimidine base found only in nucleotides of RNA.

88
Q

Substrate

A

The molecule or molecules on which an enzyme exerts catalytic action.

89
Q

Denaturation

A

Loss of activity of an enzyme or nucleic acid molecule as a result of structural changes induced by heat or other means.

90
Q

DNA

A

The fundamental hereditary material of all living organisms. In eukaryotes, stored primarily in the cell nucleus. A nucleic acid using deoxyribose rather than ribose.

Biology (3 decks)

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