Exam One Review Flashcards
List 8 characteristics of life as it is known on earth
Complex/Ordered
Regulated
Responsive
Grows
Well adapted
Reproduces
Uses energy
Carries instructions
What organisms are classified as prokaryotes?
Domains Bacteria and Archaea
What organisms are classified as eukaryotes?
Domain Eukarya
What are the 4 most common elements on earth?
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen
What are the next 7 common elements on earth?
Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Sodium, Chlorine, Magnesium
What is a trace element?
An element required in very small amounts
What is atomic number?
Number of protons
Can also be called atomic weight
What is mass number?
Protons plus neutrons
What makes elements more reactive?
The number of electrons in it’s valence shell
Why is water a great solvent?
Due to the polarity of water it is attracted to other polar substances and can form H-Bonds
What are weak bonds in biology
ionic bonds, H-bonds, van der waals, hydrophobic bonds
What is a structural isomer?
Isomer differs in arrangement of covalent bonds
What is a cis-trans isomer?
Carbons have covalent bonds to the same atoms BUT atoms differ in spacial arrangement due to inflexibility of the bonds
What is a enantiomer?
Isomers are mirror images of each other, differ in shape due to asymmetrical carbon
What is a atom?
Smallest unit of matter