Exam Review Flashcards
Valence electrons
an electron in the outermost energy level or shell of an atom
Autoionization
the process in which a molecule spontaneously dissociates into ions
Functional group
A group of atoms that affects the function of a molecule by participating in
chemical reactions.
Isomer
A molecule that has the same composition as another, but a different arrangement of
atoms.
Coenzymes
An organic molecule that acts as a cofactor of an enzyme.
Endomembrane system
a group of interacting organelles between the nucleus
and the plasma membrane
Glycoprotein
a membrane component that contains a sugar, or carbohydrate,
bound to an amino acid
sterol
a type of steroid with an OH group at one end and a non-polar hydrocarbon chain at the other
Antiport
the transported solute moves in the direction that is opposite to the gradient of the driving ion.
hypotonic
the property of a solution that has a lower solute concentration than another solution.
Metabolism
The sum of all chemical reactions in a cell or organism
Bond energy
The minimum amount of energy that is required to break a
particular type of bond, measured in kJ/mol of bonds
Entropy
A measurement of disorder in a system
Anabolic reaction
A pathway in which energy is supplied to build complex
molecules from simple molecules.
Exergonic reaction
a chemical reaction that releases free energy; the products
have less free energy than the reactants
Crista
A fold in the inner membrane of a mitochondrion.
Decarboxylation reaction
A chemical reaction that removes a carboxyl group to
form CO2
pyruvate oxidation
A reaction in which pyruvate is oxidized by NAD+, and CO2 is removed, forming an acetyl group and releasing NADH
Proton gradient
A difference in proton (H1 ion) concentration across a membrane
Beta-oxidation
A process in which fatty acids are broken down into acetyl-CoA
through catabolism
thylakoids
Where light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis occur.
reaction centre
A complex of proteins and pigments that contains the primary electron acceptor
plastocyanin
From the cytochrome complex, electrons pass to the mobile
carrier plastocyanin, which shuttles electrons from the cytochrome complex to
photosystem I
rubisco
ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase; a critical enzyme that acts as a catalyst for the reduction of carbon dioxide in the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis
Guard cells
Open and close the stomata of the leaf
Plasmid
A small circular section of DNA found in the cytosol of bacteria; replicates
independently of chromosomal DNA.
Replication fork
The point of separation of the two parent DNA strands during replication.
Topoisomerases
A class of enzymes that relieve tensions caused by the unwinding of parent DNA; they cleave one or two of the DNA strands, allow the strands to untwist, and then rejoin the strands.
DNA ligase
An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of a phosphodiester bond between two DNA strands, as well as between Okazaki fragments.
Solenoid
A group of six nucleosomes.
RNA polymerase
an enzyme that reads a DNA strand and creates a complementary strand of
RNA.
Intron
A non coding sequence of DNA or RNA
Aminoacylation
The process by which a tRNA molecule is bound to its corresponding amino acid
Inducer
A signal molecule that triggers the expression of an operon’s genes
Nonsense mutation
A mutation that results in a premature stop codon
Recombinant DNA
A DNA strand that is created using DNA pieces from two or more sources.
Vector
A DNA molecule that is used as a vehicle to transfer foreign genetic material into a cell,
for example, a plasmid
DNA sequencing
A process in which the sequence of base pairs in a DNA strand in determined
Biopharming
A process in which genetically engineered host organisms are used to make
pharmaceuticals or other products that are useful to humans
Gene therapy
The insertion, removal, or replacement of genes (to correct defective genes) within an organism’s cells to treat a disease.
homeostatic mechanism
A system that monitors internal and external conditions and changes bodily functions to maintain homeostasis.
Set point
The optimal value for a given variable of a system.
Homeotherm
An animal that maintains a stable body temperature regardless of the temperature of the external environment.
Osmoregulation
The pressure of actively regulating the osmotic pressure of bodily fluids and cells.
Nephron
The tiny functional unit of the kidney that filters wastes from the blood.
Protein hormone
A hormone composed of chains of amino acids that is water soluble; usually acts on cell membrane receptors.
Hypothalamus
The region of the brain that releases hormones to control the pituitary gland, which, in turn, controls other endocrine glands.
Islets of Langerhans
Endocrine cell clusters inside the pancreas that produce insulin and
glucagon.
Progestins
Predominantly female sex hormones, including progesterone, that control the menstrual cycle.
Gonads
Glands responsible for the production of sex hormones, as well as the egg and sperm
cells; called testes in males and ovaries in females.
Dendrite
A projection of cytosol that carries signals toward the nerve cell body
Ion channel
A protein embedded in the plasma membrane that allows ions to pass through it.
Synapse
A functional connection between neurons or between neurons and effectors.
Cerebral cortex
The outermost layer of the cerebral hemispheres.
Spinal nerves
The 31 pairs of nerves within the somatic system that transmit motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the rest of the body.
Habitat
The place where an organism normally lives
Demography
The study of the growth rate, age structure, and other characteristics of populations.
Population dynamics
The change in a population over time.
Allee effect
A density-dependent phenomenon that occurs when a population cannot survive or
fails to reproduce enough to offset mortality once the population density is too low.
Fundamental niche
The range of conditions and resources that a population can possibly tolerate
and use.
