Chapter 2 - What's Inside The Cells Flashcards
Major composition of organic compounds
Carbon
Major source of fuel in the production of energy
Hydrogen
Essential part of water molecule and organic compound
Oxygen
Key element in proteins
Nitrogen
Major component of nucleic acids and energy-rich compound
Phosphorus
Part of some amino acids and vitamins
Sulfur
Major components of bones and acts as biological signals in the body
Calcium
Essential for nerve function
Sodium and potassium
Acts as a thermostat to regulate body temperature
Iodine
Needed by plants to incorporate nitrogen into a biologically useful substance
Molybdenum
Carrier of oxygen in the blood
Iron
Each elements is composed of identical particles called
Atoms
Positively charged
Proton
Negatively charged
Electron
Uncharged
Neutron
Attractions between ions of opposite charges
Ionic bonds
The type of bond when atoms of many elements share electrons is called
Covalent bond
Attraction between shared atoms
Electronegativity
An equal sharing of electrons
Nonpolar molecules
Atoms of two or more elements that are chemically bonded compromised another pure substance called
Compounds
Compounds without carbon
Inorganic compound
Compounds with carbon
Organic compound
Weak covalent bonds between a hydrogen atom and another atom
Hydrogen bond
Most abundant inorganic compound inside the cell’s protoplasm
Water
Water characteristics and functions in living systems
- Water is a biological solvent
- has the ability to dissolve many substances
- Water molecules stick to each other and to surfaces
- stick to one another through its hydrogen atoms in a property called cohesion
- also cling to other surfaces called adhesion
- excellent transport system
- Water has high surface tension
- water molecules strongly attract each other
- Water has high heat capacity
- prevents abrupt temperature changes in organisms
- Water has high heat of vaporization
- turn liquid to gas
- helps prevent organisms from dehydration
- Water has high heat of fusion
- turn liquid to solid state or ice
- organisms are protected from freezing at low temperatures
- Water is a medium where chemical and physical processes take place
- provides a medium for the breakdown and the formation of food, absorption, secretion, and excretion
- Water serves as a moisturizer of surfaces
- Water is a lubricant
- prevents friction in joints during movement, in the heart during contraction, and in the intestines during digestion
- Water is a good cushion
- protects the brain and spinal chord
Some covalent bonds of compounds break spontaneously into ions when dissolved in water. When this happens, hydrogen ion dissociates from the water molecule. This produce a positively particle and a negatively particle called
Hydrogen ion (positive) Hydroxide ion (negative)
Process involved in spontaneous ion formation
Ionization
Compounds that release hydrogen ions in solution
Acids
A mixture of weak acid and its corresponding base that controls the pH of a given substance
Buffer
Compounds that can be acid, base or salt
Electrolytes
Moves to positively charged electrodes
Cations
Move to negatively charged electrodes
Anions
Bicarbonate
- Regulates heart function
- Maintains body’s pH balanced
Calcium
- Component of bones and teeth
- Plays an important role in the nerve impulses and muscle movement
Chloride
- Maintains water balance
Magnesium
- Aids in production of DNA and RNA
- Contributes to normal nerve and muscle function
- Maintains normal heart rhythm
- Enhances immune system
- Regulates blood glucose levels
Phosphate
- Strengthens bones and teeth
Potassium
- Helps cells produce energy needed for tissue growth and repair
- Aids in generating electrical impulses in the body for normal brain and muscle functioning
Sodium
- Helps with electrical signals in the body
- Part of water regulation
Inorganic compound that is essential for organisms that perform photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide
