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Biology > Chemical Components of the Cell (2) > Flashcards

Chemical Components of the Cell (2) Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Ion

A

An atom carrying an electrical charge, either positive or negative.

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2
Q

Buffer

A

Mixture of weak acids and bases that maintains the pH of a solution by releasing and taking up protons.

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3
Q

Chemical bond

A

A sharing or transfer of electrons that holds two atoms together. (See also covalent bond and noncovalent bond.)

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4
Q

Noncovalent bond

A

Chemical association that does not involve the sharing of electrons; singly they are relatively weak, but they can sum together to produce strong, highly specific interactions between molecules. Examples are hydrogen bonds and van der Waals attractions.

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5
Q

ATP

A

Activated carrier that serves as the principal carrier of energy in cells; a nucleoside triphosphate composed of adenine, ribose, and three phosphate groups. (See Figure 2 - 26.)

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6
Q

Organic molecule

A

Chemical compound that contains carbon and hydrogen.

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7
Q

What are the two main types of nucleic acids?

A
  1. DNA
  2. RNA
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8
Q

PH scale

A

Concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, expressed as a logarithm. An acidic solution with pH 3 will contain 10 - 3 M hydrogen ions.

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9
Q

Monomer

A

Small molecule that can be linked to others of a similar type to form a larger molecule (polymer).

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10
Q

Polar

A

In chemistry, describes a molecule or bond in which electrons are distributed unevenly.

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11
Q

Hydrogen bond

A

A weak noncovalent interaction between a positively charged hydrogen atom in one molecule and a negatively charged atom, such as nitrogen or oxygen, in another; hydrogen bonds are key to the structure and properties of water.

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12
Q

Adenine (A) pairs with what?

A

Thymine (T) or Uracil (U)

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13
Q

Hydrophobic

A

Nonpolar, uncharged molecule or part of a molecule that forms no hydrogen bonds with water molecules and therefore does not dissolve; literally, “water fearing.”

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14
Q

Hydronium ion

A

The form taken by a proton (H+) in aqueous solution.

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15
Q

Polymer

A

Long molecule made by covalently linking multiple identical or similar subunits (monomers).

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16
Q

Base

A

Molecule that accepts a proton when dissolved in water; also used to refer to the nitrogen-containing purines or pyrimidines in DNA and RNA.

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17
Q

Purines

A

Guanine (G) & Adenine (A)

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18
Q

Lipid bilayer

A

Thin pair of closely juxtaposed sheets, composed mainly of phospholipid molecules, that forms the structural basis for all cell membranes.

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19
Q

Inorganic

A

Not composed of carbon atoms.

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20
Q

Amino acid

A

Small organic molecule containing both an amino group and a carboxyl group; it serves as the building block of proteins.

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21
Q

DNA

A

Double-stranded polynucleotide formed from two separate chains of covalently linked deoxyribonucleotide units. It serves as the cell’s store of genetic information that is transmitted from generation to generation.

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22
Q

Fatty Acids are building blocks for what?

A

Fats & membrane lipids

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23
Q

Hydrophilic

A

Molecule or part of a molecule that readily forms hydrogen bonds with water, allowing it to readily dissolve; literally, “water loving.”

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24
Q

Electrostatic attraction

A

Force that draws together oppositely charged atoms. Examples include ionic bonds and the attractions between molecules containing polar covalent bonds.

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25
Q

Avogadro’s number

A

The number of molecules in a mole, the quantity of a substance equal to its molecular weight in grams; approximately 6 × 1023.

26
Q

Hydrophobic force

A

A noncovalent interaction that forces together the hydrophobic portions of dissolved molecules to minimize their disruption of the hydrogen-bonded network of water; causes membrane phospholipids to self-assemble into a bilayer and helps to fold proteins into a compact, globular shape.

27
Q

Acid

A

A molecule that releases a proton when dissolved in water; this dissociation generates hydronium (H3O+) ions, thereby lowering the pH.

28
Q

Amino Acids form what?

A

Petide bonds through hydrolysis

29
Q

Molecular weight

A

Sum of the atomic weights of the atoms in a molecule; as a ratio of molecular masses, it is a number without units.

30
Q

Conformation

A

Precise, three-dimensional shape of a protein or other macromolecule, based on the spatial location of its atoms in relation to one another.

31
Q

Hydrolysis

A

Chemical reaction that involves cleavage of a covalent bond with the accompanying consumption of water (its - H being added to one product of the cleavage and its - OH to the other); the reverse of a condensation reaction.

32
Q

Fatty acid

A

Molecule that consists of a carboxylic acid attached to a long hydrocarbon chain. Used as a major source of energy during metabolism and as a starting point for the synthesis of phospholipids.

33
Q

Electron

A

Negatively charged subatomic particle that occupies space around an atomic nucleus (e - ).

34
Q

Atom

A

The smallest particle of an element that still retains its distinctive chemical properties; consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons.

35
Q

Molecule

A

Group of atoms joined together by covalent bonds.

36
Q

Atomic weight

A

The mass of an atom relative to the mass of a hydrogen atom; equal to the number of protons plus the number of neutrons that the atom contains.

37
Q

Sugars are building blocks for what?

A

Polysaccharides, glycogen. & starch

38
Q

Pyrimidines

A

Cytosine(C), Thymaine (T), Uracil(U)

39
Q

DNA contains what bases?

A

A- Adenine, G- Guanine, C-Cytosine & T- Thymine

40
Q

Nucleotides are building blocks for what?

A

Nucleic Acids

41
Q

Sequence

A

The linear order of monomers in a large molecule – for example, amino acids in a protein or nucleotides in DNA; encodes information that specifies a macromolecule’s precise biological function.

42
Q

Chemical group

A

A combination of atoms, such as a hydroxyl group ( - OH) or an amino group ( - NH2), with distinct chemical and physical properties that influence the behavior of the molecule in which it resides.

43
Q

Electronegativity

A

The tendency of an atom to attract electrons.

44
Q

Subunit

A

A monomer that forms part of a larger molecule, such as an amino acid residue in a protein or a nucleotide residue in a nucleic acid. Can also refer to a complete molecule that forms part of a larger molecule. Many proteins, for example, are composed of multiple polypeptide chains, each of which is called a protein subunit.

45
Q

Van der Waals attraction

A

Weak noncovalent interaction, due to fluctuating electrical charges, that comes into play between two atoms within a short distance of each other.

46
Q

Condensation reaction

A

Chemical reaction in which a covalent bond is formed between two molecules as water is expelled; used to build polymers, such as proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids.

47
Q

Amino Acids are building blcks for what?

A

Proteins

48
Q

Protein

A

Macromolecule built from amino acids that provides cells with their shape and structure and performs most of their activities.

49
Q

Ionic bond

A

Interaction formed when one atom donates electrons to another; this transfer of electrons causes both atoms to become electrically charged.

50
Q

RNA contains what bases?

A

A- Adenine, G-Guanine, C-Cytosine & U- Uracil

51
Q

RNA

A

Molecule produced by the transcription of DNA; usually single-stranded, it is a polynucleotide composed of covalently linked ribonucleotide subunits. Serves a variety of informational, structural, catalytic, and regulatory functions in cells.

52
Q

Proton

A

Positively charged particle found in the nucleus of every atom; also, another name for a hydrogen ion (H+).

53
Q

Covalent bond

A

Stable chemical link between two atoms produced by sharing one or more pairs of electrons.

54
Q

ATP is an example of what?

A

Nucleotide

55
Q

Nucleotide

A

Basic building block of the nucleic acids, DNA and RNA; a nucleoside linked to a phosphate.

56
Q

Macromolecule

A

Polymer built from covalently linked subunits; includes proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides with a molecular mass greater than a few thousand daltons.

57
Q

Lipid

A

An organic molecule that is insoluble in water but dissolves readily in nonpolar organic solvents; typically contains long hydrocarbon chains or multiple rings. One class, the phospholipids, forms the structural basis for biological membranes.

58
Q

Amino Acids are made of what?

A
  1. Amino group
  2. A carboxylic acid group
  3. A side chain differs in each amino acids groups
59
Q

Sugar

A

A substance made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen with the general formula (CH2O)n. A carbohydrate or saccharide. The “sugar” of everyday use is sucrose, a sweet-tasting disaccharide made of glucose and fructose.

60
Q

Guanine(G) pairs with what?

A

Cytosine (C)

Biology (64 decks)

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