Unit 2: The Chemistry of Life Flashcards
MATTER
anything that takes up space and has mass; the three usual forms of matter are solid, liquid, and gas
ELEMENT
a chemical substance that contains only one kind of atom and that cannot be broken down into simpler substances
ATOM
a tiny particle that is the fundamental building block of all substances and whose properties determine the properties of an element made up only of those atoms
PROTONS
a positively charged particle found in the nuclei of atoms
NEUTRONS
a neutral particle with approximately the same mass as a proton, found in nuclei of atoms along with protons
ELECTRONS
a tiny part of an atom with a negative electrical charge
ION
an atom that has a positive or negative electrical charge
MOLECULES
any compound resulting from covalent bonding
VALENCE ELECTRONS
the electrons in any atom´s outer orbital path
IONIC BOND
the force of attraction between a charged atom (or group of connected atoms) and another with the opposite charge
COVALENT BOND
a bond in which electrons are shared between the bonded atoms
HYDROGEN BOND
the force of attraction between a partially charged atom and a hydrogen atom that is covalently bonded to another partially charged atom
ENTROPY
the randomness of any physical system
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
any chemical compound that contains carbon bonded to at least one other atom, usually hydrogen
MACROMOLECULE
a large molecule, especially applied to carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids
CARBOHYDRATES
one of the four major classes of large organic molecules made from carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen
LIPID
fats, oils, phospholipids, steroids, and waxes; one of four major classes of large organic molecules
PROTEINS
one of the four major classes of large organic molecules, made of amino acids
AMINO ACIDS
the organic molecules that serve as the units from which proteins are made
NUCLEIC ACIDS
one of the four major classes of large organic molecules, which are important in storing, transmitting, and making useful the information necessary for the processes of life
ORGANIC COMPOUND
any chemical compound that contains carbon bonded to at least one other atom, usually hydrogen
CHLOROPHYLL
a molecule in plants that plays a key role in photosynthesis
HEMOGLOBIN
a large molecule that captures oxygen from the lungs and delivers it to the rest of the body
ENZYMES
a catalyst for chemical reactions within living things, increasing the rate of the reaction without being changed itself
