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BIO 160 > Chapter 3 Terms > Flashcards

Chapter 3 Terms Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Organic Compound

A

A chemical compound containing the element carbon and usually synthesized by cells

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2
Q

Hydrocarbon

A

A chemical compound composed only of the elements carbon and hydrogen

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3
Q

Carbon Skeleton

A

The chain of carbon atoms that forms the structural backbone of an organic molecule

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4
Q

Isomers

A

Organic compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures and, therefore, different properties

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5
Q

Functional Group

A

An assemblage of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules and usually involved in chemical reactions

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6
Q

Hydrophilic

A

“Water-loving”; pertaining to polar, or charged, molecules (or parts of molecules) that are soluble in water

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7
Q

Hydroxyl Group

A

In an organic molecule, a functional group consisting of a hydrogen atom bonded to an oxygen atom

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8
Q

Carbonyl Group

A

In an organic molecule, a functional group consisting of a carbon atom linked by a double bound to an oxygen atom

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9
Q

Carboxyl Group

A

In an organic molecule, a functional group consisting of an oxygen atom double-bonded to a carbon atom that is also bonded to a hydroxyl group

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10
Q

Amino Group

A

In an organic molecule, a functional group consisting of a nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms

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11
Q

Phosphate Group

A

A functional group consisting of a phosphorus atom covalently bonded to four oxygen atoms

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12
Q

Methyl Group

A

In an organic molecule, a carbon bonded to three hydrogens

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13
Q

Macromolecule

A

A giant molecule in a living organism formed by the joining of smaller molecules: a protein, carbohydrate, or nucleic acid

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14
Q

Polymer

A

A large molecule consisting of many identical or similar molecular units, called monomers, covalently joined together in a chain

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15
Q

Monomer

A

A chemical subunit that serves as a building block of a polymer

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16
Q

Dehydration Reaction

A

A chemical process in which two molecules become covalently bonded to each other with the removal of a water molecule. Also called condensation

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17
Q

Hydrolysis

A

A chemical process in which polymers are broken down by the chemical addition of water molecules to the bonds linking their monomers; an essential part of digestion

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18
Q

Enzyme

A

A protein (or RNA molecule) that serves as a biological catalyst, changing the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being changed into a different molecule in the process

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19
Q

Carbohydrate

A

Member of the class of biological molecules consisting of simple single-monomer sugars (monosaccharides), two-monomer sugars (disaccharides), and other multiunit sugars (polysaccharides)

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20
Q

Monosaccharide

A

The simplest carbohydrate; a simple sugar with a molecular formula that is generally some multiple of CH2O. Monosaccharides are the building blocks of disaccharides and polysaccharides

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21
Q

Disaccharide

A

A sugar molecule consisting of two monosaccharides linked by a dehydration reaction

22
Q

Polysaccharide

A

A carbohydrate polymer consisting of hundreds to thousands of monosaccharides (sugars) linked by dehydration synthesis

23
Q

Starch

A

A storage polysaccharide found in the roots of plants and certain other cells; a polymer of glucose

24
Q

Glycogen

A

An extensively branched polysaccharide of many glucose monomers; serves as an energy-storage molecule in liver and muscle cells; the animal equivalent of starch

25
Q

Cellulose

A

A large polysaccharide composed of many glucose monomers linked into cable-like fibrils that provide structural support in plant cell walls

26
Q

Chitin

A

A structural polysaccharide found in many fungal cell walls and in the exoskeletons of arthropods

27
Q

Lipid

A

An organic compound consisting mainly of carbon and hydrogen atoms linked by nonpolar covalent bonds, making the compound mostly hydrophobic. Lipids include fats, phospholipids, and steroids and are insoluble in water

28
Q

Hydrophobic

A

“Water-fearing”; pertaining to nonpolar molecules (or parts of molecules) that do not dissolve in water

29
Q

Fat

A

A large lipid molecule made from an alcohol called glycerol and three fatty acids; a triglyceride. Most fats function as energy-storage molecules

30
Q

Unsaturated

A

Pertaining to fats and fatty acids whose hydrocarbon chains lack the maximum number of hydrogen atoms and therefore have one or more double covalent bonds. Unsaturated fats and fatty acids do not solidify at room temperature

31
Q

Saturated

A

Pertaining to fats and fatty acids whose hydrocarbon chains contain the maximum number of hydrogens and therefore have no double covalent bonds. Saturated fats and fatty acids solidify at room temperature

32
Q

Phospholipid

A

A lipid made up of glycerol joined to two fatty acids and a phosphate group, giving the molecule a nonpolar hydrophobic tail and a polar hydrophilic head. Phospholipids form bilayers that function as biological membranes

33
Q

Steroid

A

A type of lipid whose carbon skeleton is in the form of four fused rings with various chemical groups attached; examples are cholesterol, testosterone, and estrogen

34
Q

Cholesterol

A

A steroid that is an important component of animal cell membranes and that acts as a precursor molecule for the synthesis of other steroids such as hormones

35
Q

Anabolic Steroid

A

A synthetic variant of the male hormone testosterone that mimics some of its effects

36
Q

Protein

A

A functional biological molecule consisting of one or more polypeptides folded into a specific three-dimensional structure

37
Q

Amino Acid

A

An organic molecule containing a carboxyl group and an amino group; serves as the monomer of proteins

38
Q

Peptide Bond

A

The covalent linkage between two amino acid units in a polypeptide; formed by a dehydration reaction

39
Q

Polypeptide

A

A polymer (chain) of amino acids linked by peptide bonds

40
Q

Denaturation

A

A process in which a protein unravels, losing its specific structure and hence function; can be caused by changes in pH or salt concentration or by high temperature. Also refers to the separation of the two strands of the DNA double helix, caused by similar factors

41
Q

Primary Structure

A

The first level of protein structure; the specific sequence of amino acids making up a polypeptide chain

42
Q

Secondary Structure

A

The second level of protein structure; the regular local patterns of coils or folds of a polypeptide chain

43
Q

Alpha Helix

A

The spiral shape resulting from the coiling of a polypeptide in a protein’s secondary structure

44
Q

Pleated Sheet

A

The folded arrangement of a polypeptide in a protein’s secondary structure

45
Q

Tertiary Structure

A

The third level of protein structure; the overall, three-dimensional shape of a polypeptide due to interactions of the R groups of the amino acids making up the chain

46
Q

Quaternary Structure

A

The fourth level of protein structure; the shape resulting from the association of two or more polypeptide subunits

47
Q

Gene

A

A discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA, in some viruses). Most of the genes of a eukaryote are located in its chromosomal DNA; a few are carried by the DNA of mitochondria and chloroplasts

48
Q

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

A

A double-stranded helical nucleic acid molecule consisting of nucleotide monomers with deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). Capable of replicating, is an organism’s genetic material

49
Q

Nucleic Acid

A

A polymer consisting of many nucleotide monomers; serves as a blueprint for proteins and, through the actions of proteins, for all cellular structures and activities. The two types of nucleic acids are DNA and RNA

50
Q

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

A

A type of nucleic acid consisting of nucleotide monomers with a ribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U); usually single-stranded; functions in protein synthesis and as the genome of some viruses

51
Q

Nucleotide

A

An organic monomer consisting of a five-carbon suar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group. Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids

52
Q

Double Helix

A

The form of native DNA, referring to its two adjacent polynucleotide strands wound into a spiral shape

BIO 160 (8 decks)

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