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Biology 240 > The Chemical Context of Life > Flashcards

The Chemical Context of Life Flashcards

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1
Q

Organisms are composed of what?

A

Matter

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2
Q

What is matter?

A

Anything that takes up space and has mass

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3
Q

What is an element?

A

A substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by chemical reactions

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4
Q

What is a compound?

A

A substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio

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5
Q

Matter consists of what?

A

Chemical elements in pure form and in combinations called compounds

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6
Q

What are the elements of life?

A

Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus, which take up 97% of of mass in the human body

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7
Q

What are atoms?

A

The smallest unit of matter that can still retain the properties of an element

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8
Q

What is an element’s atomic number?

A

The number of protons in its nucleus

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9
Q

What is an element’s mass number?

A

The sum of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus

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10
Q

What is atomic mass?

A

The atoms total mass

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11
Q

What are isotopes?

A

Two atoms of an element that differ in the number of neutrons

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12
Q

What are radioactive isotopes?

A

Isotopes that decay spontaneously, giving off particles and energy

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13
Q

What is energy?

A

The capacity to cause change

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14
Q

What is potential energy?

A

The energy that matter possesses because of its location or structure

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15
Q

Matter has a natural tendency to move toward what?

A

The lowest possible state of potential energy

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16
Q

How do electrons of an atom differ?

A

In their amounts of potential energy based on their distance from the nucleus

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17
Q

How do changes in potential energy of electrons occur?

A

In steps of fixed amounts

18
Q

Where are electrons found?

A

In electron shells, each with a characteristic average distance and energy level

19
Q

How much energy are in the shells of an atomic nucleus?

A

The energy level increases with each shell

20
Q

What are valence electrons?

A

Those in the outermost shell, or the valence shell

21
Q

How is the chemical behavior of an atom determined?

A

By the number of valence electrons

22
Q

When is an element chemically inert?

A

When it has a full valence shell

23
Q

What is an orbital?

A

The three-dimensional space where an electron is found 90% of the time

24
Q

How do atoms interact?

A

In a way that completes their valence shells

25
Q

What does it mean if two or more elements are in the same row?

A

They have the same period

26
Q

What does it mean if two or more elements are in the same column?

A

They have the same group

27
Q

How are atoms able to stay close together when sharing valence electrons?

A

Chemical bond

28
Q

What is a covalent bond?

A

The sharing of a pair of valence electrons by two atoms

29
Q

What is a molecule?

A

Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds

30
Q

What is a single bond?

A

The sharing of one pair of valence electrons

31
Q

What is a double bond?

A

The sharing of two pairs of valence electrons

32
Q

What is a nonpolar covalent bond?

A

The atoms share the electron equally

33
Q

What is electronegativity?

A

An atom’s attraction for the electrons in a covalent bond

34
Q

The more electronegative an atom is…

A

The more strongly it pulls shared electrons toward itself

35
Q

What is a polar covalent bond?

A

When one atom is more electronegative and the atoms do not share the electron equally

36
Q

What is a positively charged ion called?

A

A cation

37
Q

What is a negatively charged ion called?

A

An anion

38
Q

What is an ionic bond?

A

Anions and cations attract each other

39
Q

What is a hydrogen bond?

A

A hydrogen atom is covalently bonded to one electronegative atom while it is also attracted to another electronegative atom

40
Q

What is a chemical reaction?

A

The making and breaking of chemical bonds

41
Q

What is a reactant?

A

The starting molecules of a chemical reaction

42
Q

What is a product?

A

The resulting molecules of a chemical reaction

Biology 240 (20 decks)

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