Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

AP Bio > Chapter 2 - The Chemical Context of Life > Flashcards

Chapter 2 - The Chemical Context of Life Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What 4 elements make up 96% of living matter?

A

Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What elements make up about 4% of living matter?

A

Calcium, Phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Element definition

A

Substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by chemical reactions - all 1 type of atom

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Compound definition

A

2+ emements combined (chemically bonded, not mechanically mixed) in a fixed ratio

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Emergent properties

A

A compound has chemical and physical characteristics different from those of its constituent elements

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What percentage of natural elements are essential elements?

A

20-25%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is an essential element?

A

An element an organism needs to live a healthy life and reproduce

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How many essential elements do humans need?

A

25

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How many essential elements do plants need?

A

17

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are trace elements?

A

Elements required by an organism in only minute quantities (still essential)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Atom def

A

smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

True or false: Elements and atoms are symbolized with the same abbreviation

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is an electron shell? Why don’t electrons fly away?

A

Rapidly moving electrons forming a cloud of negative charge around the nucleus, which holds them in

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Atomic number

A

Number of protons (and electrons unless it’s an ion)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Mass number

A

Number of protons + neutrons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

True or false: Most Hydrogen atoms (not counting the few isotopes) have an atomic number of 1 and a mass number of 2.

A

False - they usually don’t have a neutron

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Isotope

A

atom with more or fewer neutrons, same reactivity and chemical properties

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Radioactive isotope

A

nucleus decays spontaneously, giving off particles and energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Why doesn’t mass number always equal atomic mass? (they are usually very close and sometimes the same)

A

mass number is protons+neutrons, atomic mass averages the isotopes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How can radioactive isotopes be used in biology?

A

Fossil dating & tracers to follow attoms through metabolism (cells can use them like any other atom of the same element, trackers when incorporated into biologically active molecules. Good as tracers (eg ingected into blood and followed or paired with PET scanners to monitor cancer))

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Why are radioactive isotopes used in medicine if they’re harmful to cellular molecules?

A

The dose is relatively safe (at least it will hurt you less than the disease that’s making you need it)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Are atoms more or less compact than images in diagrams show?
(e.g o( O )o where o is electrons and O is the nucleus)
Do the nuclei interact with each other in a chemical reaction?

A

Much less compact - atoms are mostly empty space
No - only e&e, n&e, or e&n (not n&n bc too spread out)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Energy def (biology)

A

the capacity to cause change (like by doing work)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Potential energy def (biology)

A

the energy that matter possesses bc of location and structure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

T or F: Electrons farther from the nucleus have greater potential energy

A

True - it takes work to move an electron further away from the nucleus, and it wants to come closer (attraction theory from Sarah so take with grain of salt). More work it took to get there = greater pot energy (climbing 3 feet up a hill gives you less pot energy than climbing Mt Everest)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

T or F: Electrons can exist between shells/energy levels

A

False (at least for long periods of time. I can jump but not fly)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

The first electron shell has ____ potential energy than the third electron shell

A

less

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Under what condition can electrons move from one shell to the other?

A

If they absorb or lose an amount of energy equal to the difference in pot energy btween old shell and new shell. Absorbing -> moves further, losing -> comes closer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

T or F: an electron that has gained/lost a lot of energy can move 2 shells

A

True

29
Q

Light energy can excite an electron to a higher energy level. How is this used by living organisms?

A

1st step in photosynthesis

30
Q

Where does an electron’s lost energy go when it loses energy?

A

expelled as visible light or uv radiation

31
Q

Alt name for row of periodic table
Also, what does it correspond with?

A

period
electron shell

32
Q

alt name for column of periodic table
Also, what does it correspond with?

A

group
valence electrons

33
Q

T or F: The reactivity of an atom arises from the presence of one or more paired electrons in its valence shell, and paired electrons are involved in reactions

A

False - unpaired electrons do the reacting

34
Q

Halogens are _____ (synonym of unreactive)

A

Inert

35
Q

Examples of chemical bonds

A

Covalent bonds, metallic bonds, ionic bonds, IM forces, etc

36
Q

Strongest chemical bonds

A

Covalent and dry ionic (aq is weak for ionic bonds)

37
Q

Covalent bond def (bio)

A

sharing of a pair of valence electrons by 2 atoms - makes a molecule (which is still an element)

38
Q

T or F: Single bond means 2 electrons in the covalent bond and is represented by a single line

A

True

39
Q

Molecular formula and structural formula examples

A

H₂, H-H

40
Q

Bonding capacity

A

number of covalent bonds an atom can form (aka valence)

41
Q

Why does covalent bonding work?

A

The electron(s) of each atom is attracted to the proton(s) in each other atom’s nucleus

42
Q

T or F: Methane is a compound which takes 4 hydrogen atoms which each have a valence of 1 to complete the valence shell of a carbon atom, which has a valence of 4

A

True

43
Q

Electronegativity def

A

The attraction of a particular atom for the electrons of a covalent bond - more electronegative means stronger pulling of shared electrons towards itself

44
Q

Nonpolar covalent bond

A

When 2 of the same atoms covalently bond, they have the same electronegativity - no strong negative or positive and electrons are shared equally

45
Q

Polar covalent bond

A

When 2 or more atoms with different electronegativity bond, there’s a strong negative and positive (how strong varies) and electrons aren’t shared equally - in water, electrons spend more time near oxygen nucleus than hydrogen nucleus

46
Q

How are the positive and negative regions on a water molecule notated?

A

2 regions on the oxygen atom have a partial negative charge and are indicated with a d- (delta not d)
Each hydrogen atom has a partial positive charge and is notated with a d+ (delta not d)

47
Q

How does the polarity of water bonds compare with the polarity of methane bonds?

A

Methane bonds are less polar bc electronegativities of carbon and hydrogen are pretty similar

48
Q

T or F: More electrons = more electronegative

A

True

49
Q

T or F: The transfer of an electron in an ionic bond is the formation of a bond

A

False. It allow a bond to form because it results in two ions of opposite charge

50
Q

What are compounds formed by ionic bonds called?

A

Salts or ionic compounds (NOT A MOLECULE)

51
Q

T or F: The term ion also applies to electrically charged molecules

A

True (e.g. nitrate or ammonium ions)

52
Q

T or F: Weak chemical interactions are useless

A

False - they’re very useful in cells, holding large biological molecules together in their functional form, and temporary connections (come together, affect each other, separate)

53
Q

Hydrogen bonds

A

When a hydrogen atom is covalently bonded to an electronegative atom, the h atom has a partially positive charge so it can attract to a different electronegative atom nearby (it cheats on its spouse with another electronegative ion). These are noncovalent attractions, and the partners are usually N or O.

54
Q

Van der waals interactions

A

Wiggles.
The electrons wiggle around and aren’t always distributed symmetrically, so they may accumulate by chance in various regions of the molecule. This makes changing positive and negative regions that let all molecules stick to one another. They’re weak and only happen when close together, but lots occur simultaneously and can be powerful.

55
Q

T or F: Carbon often bonds with 4 other atoms to form a tetrahedron (triangle based pyramid) shape.

A

True

56
Q

Why is molecular shape important?

A

It dictates how they recognize and respond to each other (molecules) with specificity - they bind temporarily to each other, but only if they have a complimentary shape.

57
Q

Chemical reactions def

A

The making and breaking of chemical bonds, leading to changes in the composition of matter

58
Q

T or F: Matter is conserved in a chemical reaction

A

True - no atoms are created or destroyed

59
Q

photosynthesis formula

A

6CO2+6H2O use sunlight——-> C6H12O6 + 6O2

60
Q

T or F: All chemical reactions are theoretically reversible where products -> reactants

A

True - 2 headed arrow indicate this

61
Q

T or F: more reactants (concentration) leads to slower reactions

A

False - it makes them faster bc more collision opportunities

62
Q

Chemical equilibrium def

A

forward and reverse reactions happen at the same rate and relative concentrations stop changing. reactions keep going but ratio of concentrations have stabilized. (not necessarily equal concentrations of stuff)

63
Q

What percentage of cells are water?

A

70-95%

64
Q

How does hydrogen bonding in water work?

A

partially charged hydrogen of one attracts partially charged negative of another-> weak hydrogen bond. at any given moment most water molecules in a droplet are bonded to each other, even though each bond only lasts about a few trillions of a second

65
Q

Cohesion def

A

Many molecules in liquid water are linked by several hydrogen bonds, making water more structured than most other liquids. H bonds collectively hold the substance together.

66
Q

Adhesion def

A

clinging of one substance to another eg water to cell walls

67
Q

surface tension def

A

how hard it is to stretch or break the surface of a liquid - asymmetry of water gives it high surface tension

68
Q

specific heat of water

A

1 calorie per grap per degree celsius - unusually high

69
Q

What does the high specific heat of water mean?

A

when given or losing a a given about of energy, it will change its temperature less easily (water needs more energy to get it to do stuff)

70
Q

temperature def

A

avg kinetic energy of molecules

71
Q
A

AP Bio (14 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions