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Biology > Chapter 2: The Chemical Foundation of Life > Flashcards

Chapter 2: The Chemical Foundation of Life Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What are the four elements common to all living things?

A

Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen

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2
Q

radioisotopes

A

isotopes that decay into more stable forms

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3
Q

carbon dating

A

using carbon-14 to determine the age of something

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4
Q

Why is carbon-14 used in carbon dating?

A

It is radioactive

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5
Q

half life

A

time taken for half of a radioactive substance to decay

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6
Q

How does carbon dating work?

A

By comparing amount of carbon-14 in object and atmosphere

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7
Q

How are electron orbitals represented?

A

With a number and symbol “n”

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8
Q

octet rule

A

atoms are most stable with eight valence electrons

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9
Q

electron subshell

A

smaller electron shells inside of electron shells

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10
Q

What are the four types of subshells?

A

s, p, d and f

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11
Q

What subshells are in 1n?

A

There is one s shell

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12
Q

What subshells are there in 2n?

A

There is one s shell and three p shells

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13
Q

How many electrons can 2ns hold?

A

Two electrons

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14
Q

How many electrons can 2np hold?

A

Two electrons

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15
Q

How do electrons fill 2n?

A

Two electrons fill 2ns first then each 2np takes one electron each, then another

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16
Q

How is electron configuration represented?

A

The electron subshell then the number of electrons in that subshell superscripted

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17
Q

law of mass action

A

rate of reaction is proportional to the masses of the reactants

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18
Q

electrolytes

A

ions that help regulate the body

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19
Q

Why is nitrogen difficult for organisms to use?

A

It is triple bonded

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20
Q

What are the two types of covalent bonds?

A

Polar and nonpolar

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21
Q

polar covalent bond

A

electrons are not shared equally among atoms and partial charge forms

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22
Q

How is a partial charge represented?

A

With lower case delta sign and a + or -

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23
Q

electronegativity

A

ability to attract electrons more than other atoms

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24
Q

What type of covalent bond does water use?

A

Polar covalent bond

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25
Q

Why does water use a polar covalent bond?

A

Oxygen has a high electronegativity

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26
Q

nonpolar covalent bond

A

covalent bond where electrons are shared equally

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27
Q

Where do nonpolar covalent bonds commonly form?

A

Between atoms of the same element and different elements that share electrons equally

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28
Q

What two factors determine if a molecule is polar or nonpolar?

A

Bond type and molecule shape

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29
Q

What are two common weak bonds?

A

Hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals interactions

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30
Q

hydrogen bond

A

hydrogen atoms in a polar covalent bond have a partial positive charge and are attracted to partially negative atoms

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31
Q

Where do hydrogen bonds commonly occur?

A

In water

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32
Q

Van der Waals interactions

A

weak attractions between molecules due to fluctuations of electron densities

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33
Q

How does distance affect Van der Waals interactions?

A

The closer two molecules are, the stronger the force

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34
Q

hydrophilic

A

readily interacting with or dissolving in water

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35
Q

hydrophobic

A

not interacting with or dissolving well in water

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36
Q

water’s polarity

A

water’s partial positive and negative charge

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37
Q

Why is ice less dense than water?

A

Hydrogen bonds between water molecules create less dense crystalline structure

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38
Q

specific heat capacity

A

amount of heat one gram of substance must absorb to change by one degrees Celsius

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39
Q

Which liquid has the highest specific heat capacity?

A

Water

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40
Q

heat of vaporisation

A

amount of energy required to change one gram of liquid to a gas

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41
Q

sphere of hydration

A

when water molecules surround polar molecules and keeps them dissolved

42
Q

dissociation

A

when ionic bonds are broken in an ionic compound to form ions

43
Q

cohesion

A

same molecules are attracted to each other

44
Q

surface tension

A

the capacity to withstand rupturing under stress or tension

45
Q

adhesion

A

different molecules are attracted to each other

46
Q

capillary action

A

when water is attracted to the sides of a tube-like structure and climbs up slightly

47
Q

How do water’s cohesive and adhesive properties help life?

A

Plants take water from their roots to their leaves through cohesion and adhesion

48
Q

hydronium

A

H3O+

49
Q

hydroxide

A

OH-

50
Q

What happens naturally and spontaneously in water?

A

Small amounts of water molecules dissociate into H+ and OH-

51
Q

What happens to H+ in water after it dissociates?

A

It bonds with a water molecule to form hydronium

52
Q

What happens to OH- in water after it dissociates?

A

They stay in the solution due to hydrogen bonds

53
Q

What is the concentration of H+ dissociating in water?

A

1 x 10^-7 moles per litre of water

54
Q

How much is one mole?

A

6.022 x 10^23 particles

55
Q

How is pH calculated?

A

The negative of the base 10 logarithm of the concentration of H+ dissociating in water

56
Q

acid

A

substance that increases H+ concentration in a solution

57
Q

base

A

substance that decreases H+ concentration in a solution

58
Q

How do acids increase H+ concentration in a solution?

A

Usually one of the acid’s hydrogen atoms dissociates

59
Q

How do bases decrease H+ concentration in a solution?

A

They provide OH- ions or other negative ions to bond with H+

60
Q

How do strong and weak bases compare?

A

Stronger bases readily donate OH- or take up H+ and weaker bases not so much

61
Q

buffer

A

substances that absorb excess H+ or OH-

62
Q

What are the buffers maintaining blood pH?

A

Carbonic acid, bicarbonate ion and carbon dioxide

63
Q

What is the fundamental component of most macromolecules?

A

Carbon

64
Q

Why is carbon such a versatile element in macromolecules?

A

It has four valence electrons so it can form four covalent bonds

65
Q

hydrocarbons

A

molecules of only carbon and hydrogen

66
Q

Why are hydrocarbons a good fuel source?

A

The four covalent bonds in carbon can store a lot of energy

67
Q

How is the shape of methane determined?

A

By the shape of carbon’s electron orbitals

68
Q

What shape is methane?

A

Tetrahedral

69
Q

How do single carbon-carbon bonds affect a hydrocarbon’s geometry?

A

Single bonds allow rotation along a bond’s axis and allows flexibility

70
Q

How do double carbon-carbon bonds affect a hydrocarbon’s geometry?

A

Double bonds lead to a planar configuration

71
Q

How do triple carbon-carbon bonds affect a hydrocarbon’s geometry?

A

Triple bonds lead to a linear configuration

72
Q

eth-

A

two carbon hydrocarbon

73
Q

pro-

A

three carbon hydrocarbon

74
Q

but-

A

four carbon hydrocarbon

75
Q

-ane

A

single carbon-carbon bond

76
Q

-ene

A

double carbon-carbon bond

77
Q

-yne

A

triple carbon-carbon bond

78
Q

aliphatic hydrocarbon

A

hydrocarbons with linear chains of carbon

79
Q

aromatic hydrocarbon

A

hydrocarbons with closed rings of carbon

80
Q

How is carbon bonded in aromatic hydrocarbons?

A

With single and sometimes double bonds

81
Q

How many carbons can form a ring?

A

Typically five or six

82
Q

isomer

A

molecules with the same chemical formula but different structure

83
Q

structural isomer

A

differs in placement of covalent bonds

84
Q

geometric isomer

A

same covalent bonds but different molecule placement

85
Q

cis configuration

A

when carbons are bound on the same side of a double bond

86
Q

trans configuration

A

when carbons are bound on opposite sides of a double bond

87
Q

triglyceride

A

fat or oil molecule

88
Q

fatty acid

A

long carbon chain in triglycerides

89
Q

Which configurations can fatty acids be in?

A

Cis or trans configuration

90
Q

unsaturated fat

A

fats with at least one double bond

91
Q

What does an unsaturated fat in the cis configuration look like?

A

It has a bend around the double bond

92
Q

Why do unsaturated fats in the cis configuration remain liquid at room temperature?

A

Because of their bend, they cannot pack tightly enough to become solid

93
Q

What does an unsaturated fat in the trans configuration look like?

A

It has a linear shape

94
Q

What happens to trans fats at room temperature?

A

They pack together to form a solid

95
Q

saturated fat

A

fats that do not have a double bond and contain all hydrogen atoms available

96
Q

What happens to saturated fats at room temperature?

A

They pack together to form a solid

97
Q

enantiomer

A

molecules with the same chemical formula and placement but are non-superimposable mirror images of each other

98
Q

What are the two enantiomers of amino acids?

A

L-forms and D-forms

99
Q

Which amino acid enantiomers make proteins?

A

L-forms

100
Q

functional group

A

groups of atoms that give a macromolecule specific chemical properties

101
Q

Where are functional groups found in a macromolecule?

A

Along the carbon skeleton

102
Q

substituted hydrocarbon

A

hydrocarbons with other elements in their carbon skeleton

Biology (9 decks)

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