Intro to Chemistry Terms Flashcards
atom
the smallest unit of matter that has the characteristic properties of a chemical element
element
a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances; the fundamental materials of which all matter is composed; there are 118 different elements organized in the periodic table; the most abundant elements in living things are CHONP
matter
anything that takes up space and has mass; can be solid, liquid, or gas
energy
the ability to do work; how things change and move; 2 types: potential & kinetic; potential energy is stored energy and includes the following forms: chemical, gravitational, mechanical, nuclear; kinetic energy is active energy and includes the following forms: electrical, motion, radiant (aka electromagnetic), sound, thermal
polymer
a large molecule made of repeating subunits called monomers; can be man-made (synthetic) eg. plastics or other petroleum-based products, or can be natural, biomolecules
macromolecule
a large molecule usually made up of a repeating subunit; a polymer
biomolecule
polymers of carbon-based monomer units; carbon-based macromolecules; building blocks of life; includes: carbohydrate, lipid (fat), nucleic acid, & protein
molecule
2 or more atoms bound together; the smallest unit of a compound substance
potential energy
stored energy; forms of potential energy include: chemical, gravitational, mechanical, nuclear
kinetic energy
active energy; energy in motion through waves, electrons, & substances; forms include electrical, motion, radiant (aka electromagnetic), sound, thermal
electrolysis
to break apart using electricity
hydrolysis
to break apart water molecules
monomer
a smaller repeating subunit molecule that forms larger molecules called polymers; can be identical or have variations
organic molecule
molecule made of mostly CHO; has a carbon backbone; vs. organic food which means it was grown without certain chemical compounds
chemical formula
shows the chemical symbols of elements and the ratio of each in a single molecule; sub text is used after an element symbol to indicate how many of that element there are in a single molecule, eg. H2O; a number before the chemical formula in a reaction indicates how many of the whole molecule there are
chemical bonds
different ways that atoms are attracted to each other; forces that hold atoms together in molecules; 4 types: covalent, ionic, hydrogen, & van der Waals interactions
https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/mhccmajorsbio/chapter/chemical-bonds/#:~:text=There%20are%20four%20types%20of,energy%20input%20to%20break%20apart.
covalent bond
the strongest chemical bond; when 2 atoms share a pair of electrons; can be single bond = share 1 pair (2 electrons) denoted by a single line between the 2 atoms, or double bond = share 2 pair (4 electrons) denoted by a double line between the 2 atoms, or triple bond = share 3 pair (6 electrons) denoted by a triple line between the 2 atoms,
ionic bond
when one atom donates an electron to another atom and then the positive and negative atoms are attracted to each other; salt molecules are ionic bonds; eg. Na+Cl-
hydrogen bond
an attraction between charged or polar molecules in which the positive side of the polar molecule forms a weak bond with the negative side of another polar molecule; eg. in water, the oxygen side of the molecule tends to be slightly negative and the hydrogen side tends to be positive, so the hydrogen side of one molecule forms a weak bond with the oxygen side of the water molecule next to it creating a hydrogen bond; hydrogen bonds are what create surface tension on water; hydrogen bonds are responsible for the secondary structure (the twisting) of proteins
polar molecule
a molecule with a side that tends to be slightly positive AND a side that tends to be slightly negative; eg. water molecule H2O the oxygen side tends to hog the electrons so it is more negative so the hydrogen atoms tend to be more positive; only polar molecules can have hydrogen bonds
chemical reaction
starting molecules (reactants) get rearranged into different molecules (products); reactants and products store different amounts of chemical energy; energy must be added or released for a chemical reaction to occur
chemical equation
a representation of a chemical reaction using chemical formulas, numbers, and an arrow which indicates that the starting molecules react to form; there must be the same type and number of atoms on each side of the arrow - like balancing a math equation; eg. the chemical equation of electrolysis of water is
2 H2O –> 2 H2 + O2
reactants
the molecules that a chemical reaction starts with; eg. in the electrolysis of water equation
2 H2O –> 2 H2 + O2
the reactants are the water (H2O) molecules
products
the molecules that a chemical reaction produces; eg. in the electrolysis of water equation
2 H2O –> 2 H2 + O2
the products are the hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) molecules
carbohydrate
a polymer biomolecule made of repeating subunits called sugars which are made of elements CHO; eg. starch is a polymer of glucose; functions include: short term energy storage, structure
sugar
monomer of carbohydrate; made of CHO; eg. glucose C6H12O6
protein
a polymer biomolecule made of repeating subunits of amino acids; made mostly of elements CHON; proteins perform most tasks of living things; functions of proteins include: digestive enzymes, transport, structure, hormones, defense (antibodies), contractile, storage
What determines a protein’s function?
A protein’s shape determines its function.
What determines a protein’s shape?
A protein’s primary structure, or sequence of amino acids, determines its shape.
4 levels of protein structure
primary - the sequence or order of the amino acids forming a chain
secondary - the twisting or curling of the amino acid chain caused by hydrogen bonds
tertiary - folding of the chain of amino acids into a distinct 3-dimensional shape
quaternary - when 2 or more chains fold into connected 3-dimensional shapes to form 1 functional protein
amino acid
monomer of protein; made of CHON elements, includes an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (CO2H), and an R group which is a variable carbon based molecule; while there are hundreds of different amino acids that occur in nature, only 20 amino acids are coded for by the DNA of all living things and therefore only these 20 amino acids make up the proteins in living things.
lipid
aka fat; a biomolecule made of CHO; made of long chains of CH; subunits include glycerol and fatty acids; function of lipids include: chemical messengers (hormones), long term energy storage, cell membrane structure, temperature maintenance
nucleic acid
a polymer biomolecule; made of CHONP; made of a monomer or subunit called nucleotide; DNA contains the code for all living things using 4 different repeating nucleotides; RNA is short term copies of sections of DNA using 3 of the same nucleotides as DNA and 1 different, RNA strands usually code for a single protein that the cell needs to make for a specific function needed at that time
nucleotide
the monomer of nucleic acids; made of CHONP; includes a phospate group, a 5 carbon sugar, and a nitrogenous base; DNA uses nucleotides with 4 different nitrogenous bases including: adenine, guanine, cytosine, & thymine (AGCT); RNA nitrogenous bases include AGC but use uracil U instead of T
Law of Conservation of Matter
Matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
Law of Conservation of Energy
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
