Chemistry of Life (PHYSIO 1) Flashcards
Define Valence Electrons
electrons on the outermost shell of the atom
Define Molecule
a group of two or more atoms that are chemically bonded.
Define Covalent Bond
it is the sharing of electrons from atoms
Define Ionic Bond
a complete transfer of valence electrons to another atom
Define Hydrogen bond
Define Non-polar Covalent Bond
two atoms share electrons equally
Define Polar Covalent Bond
two atoms share electrons unequally
Define Hydrophobic
non-polar molecules that do not dissolve well in water
Define Hydrophilic
polar and ionic molecules that dissolve well in water
Define dissolve and dissociate
How do ionic compounds behave when dissolved in water? How is this different from other soluble molecules such as glucose?
ionic compounds are separated and spread throughout the water uniformly (dipole-dipole). Glucose is a covalent bond compound, meaning it does not dissolve well in water.
What is surface tension? How/why does water have surface tension?
it’s a property allowing liquid to resist external forces. Water has high polarity, from the hydrogen ends and oxygen, allows to stick to each other and is very hard to break.
What is an acid? What is a base?
Acid: sour taste and has a burning effect when in contact
Base: Mild or bitter compound. Is the opposite of acid
The pH of a neutral solutions is ______, the pH of an acidic solution is ______, and the pH of a basic solution is ______.
a. 7
b. below 7
c. above 7
If the concentration of H+ in solution increases, then the pH of that solution will ______. Conversely, if the concentration of Oh+ in solution increases, then the pH of that solution will ______.
a. decrease (more H+)
b. increase (more OH-)
What is buffer and how do buffers stabilize the pH of a solution?
Buffers stabilize pH by allowing only small changes in pH when acid or base is added to solution.
What is dehydration synthesis? What is another term for it?
when water molecules are taken out as a result from a chemical reaction.
What is hydrolysis? What is another term for it?
when water breaks down molecule compounds.
Define monosaccharide.
a sugar
Define disaccharide
double sugars
Define polysaccharide
a long chain of monosaccharides (carbohydrates)
Define Amylose (starch)
plant storage of sugar (composed of thousands of glucose molecules
Define cellulose
Makes up cell walls of plants (humans can’t digest this)
Define glycogen
sugar storage in an animal cell
What are the physiological functions of carbohydrate?
main source of energy
Where is glycogen found in the body?
glycogen is found in the liver and skeletal muscles
Define Cholesterol
Maintains fluidity of cells
Define steroid
cholesterol driven, and are hydrophobic
Define Steroid Hormone
Hormones like:
- testosterone
- estrogen
- progesterone
- cortisol
- aldosterone
Etc.
Define Fatty acid
The building blocks of fat in our bodies and the food we eat. The body converts lipids into fatty acids during digestion so that they can be taken into the blood.
Define Glycerol
another building block of lipids
Define Phospholipid
formed by removing one fatty acid from a triglyceride and replacing it with a phosphorous containing “head”
- the heads are positively or negatively charged which makes them hydrophilic
- The tails are hydrophobic
Which of the molecules are amphipathic?
amphipathic: having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups
- Molecule: phospholipids
What are the physiological functions of the lipids listed earlier?
insulation, long-term energy, and make up cell membranes, etc.
What type of bond is formed between amino acids to build a peptide?
peptide bond
Define primary structure
the sequence of amino acids that makes a chain
Define secondary structure
include a-helixes and B-pleated sheets
- Formed from hydrophobic amino acid functional (R) groups and hydrophilic amino acid function (R) groups
Define tertiary structure
amino acids folded to make a large, 3D shape
Define quaternary structure as it pertains to proteins
Multiple polypeptide chains
What are some of the physiological functions of protein?
- structural of collagen fibers
- enzymes
- antibodies
- receptors
- carriers
What is the physiological function of nucleic acids?
- DNA and RNA
- makes up the proteins inside the cell
- make up our genes
Which nucleotide bases form complementary pair?
- Guanine and Cytosine
- Adenine and Thymine (DNA)
- Adenine and Uracil (RNA)
Which class of enzymes synthesize from nucleic acids to free nucleotides?
DNA Polymerase
