Exam 1 Flashcards
What are the characteristics of life?
- reproduction
- growth
- development
- response to stimuli
- metabolism
- cellular organization
- adaptation
- the ability to evolve
What is the basic premise and goal of science?
- assumptions that natural causes explain natural phenomena
- that evidence from the natural world can inform us about those causes and that these causes are consistent.
What condition distinguishes science from Philosophy of mysticism?
- philosophy deals with arguments and reasoning
- mysticism seeks the infinite through a sort of experience which supersedes any conceptual framework
What are some fundamental properties of science?
- empiricism
- testability
- reproducibility
- objectivity
- systematic investigation
What does it mean that science investigates falsifiable claims?
scientific theories and hypotheses are considered valid only if they can be potentially proven false through observation or experimentation
What is the difference between inductive and deductive inquiry? Provide an example of
each
- inductive inquiry involves starting with specific observations and using them to form general conclusions or theories
- deductive inquiry begins with a general theory or hypothesis and then tests it using specific observations to reach a conclusion
What are the basic steps of scientific inquiry?
- Observation
- Ask a question
- Background research
- Form a hypothesis
- Design and conduct an experiment
- Analyze data
- Draw conclusions
- Communicate results
What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis?
- a hypothesis is a proposed explanation that can be tested through research
- a theory is a well-established explanation supported by substantial evidence and repeated testing, considered to be the best explanation
Why is replication so important in science?
- verify and validate the findings of a study
- building confidence in the reliability and generalizability of the results
What does it mean to be biased, especially confirmation bias?
- confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior beliefs or values.
What does it mean for a theory to have consilience?
evidence from multiple, independent disciplines or sources converges to support the same conclusion
How does pseudoscience strengthen science?
by presenting itself as scientific while lacking rigorous methodology
What is the “Naturalist Fallacy”
a logical fallacy that assumes something is morally good simply because it occurs naturally in the world
Why anecdotal data not useful data?
Anecdotal evidence is considered the least certain type of scientific information
What is anti-intellectualism and what are the five main forms
- an opposition to intellectual pursuits, intellectuals, higher education, and scientific thinking
- religious anti-rationalism, populist anti-elitism, and unreflective instrumentalism;
What two fundamental assumptions does science make to proceed in understanding nature?
natural phenomena can be explained by natural causes and that these causes are consistent and discoverable through observation and experimentation
What are the parts of an atom
protons, neutrons, and electrons
Electron
- negative charge in atom
-the number of electrons in an atom is equal to the number of protons in a neutral atom - smallest particle in atom
Proton
a positive electrical charge
Neutron
found inside the nucleus of every atom
What is meant by the atomic number or atomic mass?
- atomic number of an element refers to the number of protons in its nucleus, which uniquely identifies the element
- atomic mass represents the average mass of an atom of that element, taking into account the combined mass of its protons and neutrons
What is an ion provide three examples
an ion is an atom or group of atoms that has a net electrical charge;
ex: sodium ion (Na+), chloride ion (Cl-), and calcium ion (Ca2+).
What are isotopes? Provide three examples.
Isotopes are different forms of the same chemical element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons in their nucleus, resulting in different atomic masses
ex: hydrogen-1 (protium), hydrogen-2 (deuterium), and hydrogen-3 (tritium)
What is the difference between a cation and anion
A cation is a positively charged ion, meaning it has more protons than electrons, while an anion is a negatively charged ion, meaning it has more electrons than protons;
How are similarly behaving elements categorized on the periodic table?
vertical columns called “groups” or “families”
What structural feature of atoms determines similarity in behavior for different elements.
the number and arrangement of electrons in their outermost shell, called the valence shell
What is the difference between ionic/covalent bonds?
ionic bonds involve electron transfer, whereas covalent bonds involve electron sharing.
What causes a polar covalent bond?
two atoms with different electronegativities share electrons
What is a hydrogen bond? How does this happen?
a special type of dipole-dipole attraction between molecules, not a covalent bond to a hydrogen atom
What produces a polar molecule compared to a non-polar one?
- when there is an uneven distribution of electrons across a molecule, resulting from a difference in electronegativity between the atoms in the bond
- a non-polar molecule has an even distribution of electrons due to similar electronegativity between atoms
What is an amphipathic molecule?
a compound that has both hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water-fearing) parts
What does pH refer to?
potential of hydrogen
base
A base is a substance with a pH greater than 7 on the pH scale
acid
Substances with a pH less than 7 are acidic
Methyl
A small molecule made of one carbon and three hydrogen atoms.
Carboxyl
functional groups in organic compounds that contain a carbon double bonded to an oxygen and single bonded to a hydroxyl group (-OH) (COOH)
Phosphate
a chemical compound that contains phosphorus and is found in minerals, fertilizers, and the human body
Hydroxyl
converts many organic compounds into alcohols, enhancing their solubility in water
Sulfhydryl
a functional group that contains a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom
Ether Bond
a chemical bond where a single oxygen atom is covalently linked to two carbon atoms (or organic groups), forming a C-O-C linkage
Hydrocarbon
alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes
Alchohol
hydroxyl group (-OH)
Sugar
hydroxyl and carbonyl
Lipid (group)
fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated), glycerides (including triglycerides), phospholipids, steroids, and waxes
Protein (groups)
the amine group, carboxyl group, and the diverse R groups of the amino acids that make up the protein chain
Nucleotide (groups)
a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base
Carbohydrate (groups)
carbonyl groups and hydroxyl groups
What is a monomer vs a polymer?
a monomer is a molecule with low molecular weight that can combine with others of the same kind to form a chemical compound known as a polymer
What reaction forms polymers in most biomolecules
dehydration synthesis
What are isomers? Provide three examples
Isomers are molecules that have the same chemical formula but different structural arrangements of atoms, meaning they have the same number and types of atoms but connected in different ways
ex:butane and isobutane (both C4H10), 1-propanol and 2-propanol (both C3H8O), and ethyl alcohol and dimethyl ether (both C2H6O).
What is the difference between a stereoisomer and a structural isomer
structural isomers have different “bonding patterns” while stereoisomers have different “spatial orientations” of atoms.
What is the difference between a monosaccharide/disaccharide/polysaccharide structurally?
A monosaccharide is a single sugar molecule, a disaccharide is made up of two monosaccharides linked together, and a polysaccharide is a chain of many monosaccharides joined by glycosidic bonds
What is the difference between starch, glycogen, and cellulose?
- starch and glycogen are energy storage molecules found in plants and animals respectively
- while cellulose is a structural component in plants, primarily forming the cell wall due to its unique linear structure made of beta-glucose units, unlike the branched alpha-glucose structures of starch and glycogen
alpha glucose vs beta glucose
alpha -hydroxyl is placed below
beta - hydroxyl placed above
saturated fatty acid
a fat that has no double bonds between its carbon atoms.
Unsaturated fatty acid
fatty acids that have at least one double bond in their carbon chain
Why are triglycerides the preferred long-term energy storage molecule instead of glycogen?
they have a significantly higher energy density
carbohydrates (function)
act as an energy source, help control blood glucose and insulin metabolism, participate in cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism, and help with fermentation.
lipids (function)
primary energy storage molecule, building blocks for cell membranes, and signaling molecules within the body, playing a crucial role in hormone production, insulation, and transporting fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.
proteins (function)
structural support, biochemical catalysts, hormones, enzymes, building blocks, and initiators of cellular death.
nucleic acids
primary information storage and transfer molecules within living organisms
What are the conditions and forces that can influence protein folding?
Extreme temperatures affect the stability of proteins and cause them to unfold or denature
What is energy, what is the difference between kinetic and potential energy, can a substance
have both forms of energy?
Energy is the ability to do work, and it can exist in two primary forms: potential energy (stored energy due to position or arrangement) and kinetic energy (energy of motion); yes, a substance can have both forms of energy at the same time, with potential energy often transforming into kinetic energy when movement occurs.
What form of potential energy is most useful for living systems
chemical energy
What are the two main laws of thermodynamics?
the First Law of Thermodynamics, which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred from one form to another, and the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the entropy of an isolated system always increases, meaning that in any spontaneous process, the disorder of the system will increase.
What is entropy?
the measurement of degree of randomness
What forms can energy come in? (Examples)
mechanical energy (like kinetic energy from motion), thermal energy (heat), electrical energy, chemical energy (stored in bonds), radiant energy (light), sound energy, nuclear energy, and gravitational potential energy.
How is energy important in chemical reactions?
it is required to break existing bonds between atoms in reactant molecules, allowing them to rearrange and form new bonds to create product molecules
Free Energy
energy like property or state function of a system in thermodynamic equilibrium
Activation Energy
the minimum amount of energy that is required to activate atoms or molecules to a condition in which they can undergo chemical transformation or physical transport.
Endothermic Energy
energy that is absorbed by a system from its surroundings during an endothermic reaction
Exothermic Energy
energy that is released during a chemical reaction, typically in the form of heat, where the products of the reaction have less potential energy than the reactants, causing the surrounding environment to become warmer
What is a coupled reaction?
a chemical reaction where an energetically unfavorable reaction occurs simultaneously with an energetically favorable one
What direction must free energy move in order for coupled reactions to proceed
spontaneously
decrease in the direction of the reaction
