chapter 2- the chemistry of life Flashcards
what is an element
a pure substance
what is a compound
a substance that consists of two or more elements
what is a chemical bond
a force that hold molecules together
what is a chemical reaction
a process that changes some chemical substances into others
what are organic compounds
make up the cells and other structers of organisms and carry out life processes.
what are the four organic compounds
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
what is a carbohydrate
an organic compound such as sugar or starch and is used to store energy
what is monosaccharide
a simple sugar such as fructose or glucose
polysaccharide
a complex carbohydrate that forms when simple sugars bind together in a chain
what is a lipid
an organic compound such as fat or oil
what is a saturated fatty acid
carbon atoms are bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible
what is an unsaturated fatty acid
some carbon atoms are not bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible
what is a protein
an organic compound made up of small molecules called amino acids
what is a hemoglobin
a hemoglobin allows the blood to carry oxygen from the lungs to cells throughout the body
what is a nucleic acid
an organic compound, such as DNA or RNA, that is built of small units called nucleotides
what is a reactant
a substance that starts a chemical reaction
what is a product
a substance that is formed as a result of the chemical reaction
what is a chemical equation
represents a chemical reaction in the form of an equation
what is an exothermic reaction
a chemical reaction that releases energy as heat
what is an endothermic reaction
a chemical reaction that absorbs energy
what is activation energy
the energy need to start a chemical reaction
what is a biochemical reaction
chemical reaction that take place inside the cells of living things
what is metabolism
it is both endothermic and exothermic reactions
what is a catabolic reaction
the breakdown of glucose, which releases energy that cells need to carry out life processes
what is an anabolic reaction
a reaction that builds up bigger molecuoles from smaller ones
what do enzymes do
enzymes speed up the process of biochemical reactions
what is polarity in a molecule
when one end of the molecule is negative and the other is positive
what is a hydrogen bond
a bond that forms between molecules
what is a solution
a mixture of two or more substances that has the same composition throughout
What is The pH scale used for
to measure the acidity of something
what is an acid
a solution that has a pH lower than 7
what is a base
a solution with a pH higher than 7
why is water essential in life
water is involved in most biochemical reactions
what is matter
anything that that takes up space and mass
