Exam 1 Key Terms Flashcards
3-7 lecutres
The fluid inside cells, containing nutrients, ions, and proteins necessary for cell function.
Intracellular fluid
The fluid outside cells, including blood plasma and interstitial fluid, which surrounds and supports cells
Extracellular fluid:
The body’s ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes, using regulatory mechanisms.
Homeostasis
The Scientific Process:
- Observation:
Gathering information about a phenomenon or event, which sparks inquiry. - Hypothesis:
A proposed explanation for an observation, which can be tested through experimentation. - Experiment:
A structured procedure to test the hypothesis by manipulating variables and recording outcomes. - Results:
The data and findings gathered from the experiment. - Conclusions:
Interpretation of the results to determine whether the hypothesis is supported or refuted.
Molecules that repel water, typically nonpolar substances like fats and oils.
Hydrophobic Molecules
Molecules that are attracted to and can dissolve in water, typically polar substances.
Hydrophilic Molecules
The branch of chemistry dealing with carbon-based compounds, often found in living organisms.
Organic Chemistry
he branch of chemistry that deals with compounds that do not primarily contain carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds. It focuses on substances such as metals, minerals, salts, and other compounds that are not classified as organic. Inorganic chemistry is fundamental to fields like biochemistry, materials science, and environmental science.
Inorganic Chemistry
Organic compounds consisting only of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
Hydrocarbon
The chain or ring of carbon atoms that forms the backbone of any organic molecule.
Carbon Skeleton
A specific group of atoms within a molecule that is responsible for a characteristic chemical reaction.
Functional Group
A small molecule that can bind to others like it to form a polymer.
Monomer
A large molecule composed of many repeated subunits (monomers).
Polymer
A chemical reaction in which two molecules are bonded together with the removal of a water molecule.
Dehydration Reaction
A chemical reaction that breaks bonds between molecules by adding water.
Hydrolysis Reaction
Organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, serving as a major energy source.
Carbohydrates
The simplest form of carbohydrates, consisting of a single sugar molecule like glucose.
Monosaccharide
A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides, such as sucrose or lactose.
Disaccharide
A carbohydrate polymer made up of many monosaccharide units, such as starch or cellulose.
Polysaccharide
A diverse group of hydrophobic molecules, including fats, oils, phospholipids, and steroids, primarily used for energy storage, insulation, and cell structure.
Lipids
Types of lipids; fats are solid at room temperature, while oils are liquid. Both are composed of glycerol and fatty acids.
Fats and Oils
Fatty acids with no double bonds between carbon atoms, resulting in straight chains, typically solid at room temperature.
Saturated Fatty Acids
Fatty acids with one or more double bonds between carbon atoms, creating kinks in the chain, usually liquid at room temperature.
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Lipids that make up the cell membrane, consisting of a hydrophilic phosphate head and two hydrophobic fatty acid tails.
Phospholipids
Small spherical structures formed by phospholipids in water, where the hydrophilic heads face outward and the hydrophobic tails are inside.
Micelles
Lipids characterized by a carbon skeleton of four fused rings, including cholesterol and hormones like testosterone and estrogen.
Steroids
Large molecules made of amino acids, essential for cell structure, function, and regulation of body tissues and organs.
Proteins
Biomolecules that store and transmit genetic information, including DNA and RNA.
Nucleic Acids
Short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.
Peptides
Long chains of amino acids that fold into proteins.
Polypeptides
The sequence of amino acids in a protein.
Protein Structure (Primary)
Local folding of the polypeptide chain into structures like alpha helices and beta sheets, stabilized by hydrogen bonds.
Protein Structure (Secondary)
The three-dimensional shape of a protein, determined by interactions among various side chains (R groups).
Protein Structure (Tertiary)
The structure formed when multiple polypeptide chains come together to form a functional protein.
Protein Structure (Quaternary)
Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that stores genetic information in the nucleus of cells.
DNA
Ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid involved in protein synthesis and the transmission of genetic information.
RNA
The building blocks of nucleic acids, composed of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
Nucleotides
The primary energy carrier in cells, providing energy for various cellular processes.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)
The semi-permeable barrier surrounding cells, composed mainly of a phospholipid bilayer, regulating the movement of substances in and out of the cell.
Plasma Membrane
The fluid component of the cytoplasm, where organelles and other cell structures are suspended.
Cytosol
The jelly-like substance within a cell, containing the cytosol, organelles, and inclusions.
Cytoplasm
Specialized structures within a cell that perform distinct functions, such as the nucleus, mitochondria, and ribosomes.
Organelles
Non-living components within cells, such as pigments, nutrients, or crystals.
Inclusion
Key components of the cell membrane, consisting of hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails.
Phospholipids
The form of DNA and proteins found in the nucleus, which condenses to form chromosomes during cell division.
Chromatin
The control center of the cell, housing DNA and directing cellular activities.
Nucleus
A double membrane that encloses the nucleus, controlling the flow of materials in and out of the nucleus.
Nuclear Envelope
Cellular structures that synthesize proteins by translating RNA into amino acid sequences.
Ribosomes
A network of membranes in the cell involved in lipid synthesis and detoxification processes.
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
A membrane network studded with ribosomes, involved in protein synthesis and folding.
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
An organelle that modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and lipids for secretion or use within the cell.
Golgi Apparatus
Organelles containing digestive enzymes, responsible for breaking down waste materials and cellular debris.
Lysosomes
Organelles that contain enzymes for detoxifying harmful substances and breaking down fatty acids.
Peroxisomes
The “powerhouses” of the cell, where ATP is produced through cellular respiration
Mitochondria
A network of protein filaments that provide structural support and shape to the cell, as well as aiding in movement.
Cytoskeleton
Hair-like structures on the cell surface that move fluid, mucus, or cells over their surface.
Cilia
Long, whip-like structures used for cell movement, such as in sperm cells.
Flagella
Tiny projections on the cell surface that increase surface area for absorption.
Microvilli
The phase of the cell cycle where the cell grows and replicates its DNA in preparation for division.
Interphase
The process by which a cell divides into two new daughter cells, including mitosis and cytokinesis.
Cell Division
The process of nuclear division in eukaryotic cells that results in two genetically identical daughter cells.
Mitosis
The division of the cytoplasm to form two separate daughter cells after mitosis.
Cytokinesis
The first stage of mitosis, where chromatin condenses into visible chromosomes, and the nuclear envelope breaks down.
Prophase
The stage of mitosis where chromosomes line up at the center of the cell (metaphase plate).
Metaphase
The stage of mitosis where sister chromatids are pulled apart to opposite sides of the cell.
Anaphase
The final stage of mitosis where chromosomes begin to uncoil, nuclear envelopes reform, and the cell prepares for cytokinesis.
Telophase
The capacity to do work or cause change, existing in various forms such as kinetic and potential energy.
Energy
The energy an object possesses due to its motion.
Kinetic Energy
The stored energy an object has due to its position or state.
Potential Energy
A unit of energy; the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C.
Calorie
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.
1st Law of Thermodynamics
Energy transfer increases the entropy (disorder) of a system, and energy transformations are not 100% efficient.
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
A measure of the disorder or randomness in a system.
Entropy
A chemical reaction that releases energy.
Exergonic Reaction
A chemical reaction that absorbs energy.
Endergonic Reaction
The loss of electrons from a molecule, atom, or ion in a chemical reaction.
Oxidation
The gain of electrons by a molecule, atom, or ion in a chemical reaction.
Reduction
A chemical reaction in which water is removed to bond molecules together.
Dehydration Reaction
A chemical reaction in which water is added to break bonds between molecules.
Hydrolysis
A reaction where an exergonic process drives an endergonic one.
Coupled Reaction
A process of forming ATP by the direct transfer of a phosphate group to ADP from a substrate.
Substrate-Level Phosphorylation
The production of ATP using energy derived from the electron transport chain in mitochondria.
Oxidative Phosphorylation
The starting substances in a chemical reaction that undergo change.
Reactants
The substances produced as a result of a chemical reaction.
Products
A series of metabolic processes that convert glucose and oxygen into ATP, carbon dioxide, and water.
Cellular Respiration
An anaerobic process that allows glycolysis to continue by regenerating NAD⁺, producing ATP and lactic acid or ethanol.
Fermentation
The process of copying DNA before cell division.
DNA Replication
DNA replication in which each of the two new DNA molecules retains one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.
Semiconservative Replication
The enzyme that unwinds the DNA double helix during DNA replication.
DNA Helicase
The enzyme that synthesizes new strands of DNA by adding nucleotides to the growing strand during replication.
DNA Polymerase
The enzyme that synthesizes new strands of DNA by adding nucleotides to the growing strand during replication.
DNA Ligase
A short RNA segment that provides a starting point for DNA synthesis during replication.
Primer
The continuously synthesized DNA strand during replication.
Leading Strand
The discontinuously synthesized DNA strand that forms short segments (Okazaki fragments) during replication
Lagging Strand
A change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA.
Mutation
A mutation that occurs in reproductive cells and can be passed on to offspring.
Germ-Line Mutation
A mutation that occurs in non-reproductive cells and cannot be inherited.
Somatic Mutation
A DNA sequence that can change its position within the genome, potentially causing mutations.
Transposon
A mutation that affects a single nucleotide base in the DNA sequence.
Point Mutation
A mutation caused by insertions or deletions of nucleotides that shift the reading frame of the genetic message.
Frame Shift Mutation
