Vocabulary Flashcards
1
Q
biology
A
the scientific study of life
2
Q
systems biology
A
the exploration of a biological system by analyzing the interactions among its parts
3
Q
eukaryotic cell
A
contains membrane-enclosed organelles
4
Q
prokaryotic cell
A
lacks a nucleus or other membrane-enclosed organelles
5
Q
DNA
A
deoxyribonucleic acid
6
Q
matter
A
anything that takes up space and has mass
7
Q
element
A
a substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by chemical reactions
8
Q
compound
A
a substance consisting of two or more different elements combined in a fixed ratio
9
Q
essential elements
A
elements that an organism needs to live a healthy life and reproduceq\
10
Q
trace elements
A
elements that are required by an organism in only minute quantities
11
Q
atomic number
A
the number of protons
written as a subscript to the left of teh symbol for the element
12
Q
mass number
A
total number of protons + neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
13
Q
atomic mass
A
total mass of an atom
14
Q
isotopes
A
different atomic forms of the same element, which vary in the numbers of neutrons they contain
15
Q
radioactive isotope
A
an isotope in which the nucleus decays spontaneously, giving off particles and energy
16
Q
energy
A
the capacity to cause change
17
Q
potential energy
A
the energy that matter posseses because of its location or structure
18
Q
cohesion
A
the phenomenon for water molecules in which hydrogen bonds hold the molecules of water closely together, making water more structured than other liquids (related to surface tension)
19
Q
adhesion
A
the clinging of one substance to another
20
Q
surface tension
A
a measure of how difficult it is to stretch or break the surface of a liquid
-water has a very high surface tension
21
Q
hydration shell
A
the sphere of water molecules around each dissolved ion
22
Q
hydrophilic
A
any substance that has an affinity for water
23
Q
hydrophobic
A
substances that do not have an affinity for water
24
Q
hydrocarbons
A
organic molecules consisting of only carbon and hydrogen
25
isomers
variation in the architecture of organic molecules
26
structural isomers
isomers that differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms
27
cis-trans isomers
isomers that differ in their spacial arrangement due to the inflexibility of double bonds
-if a double bond joins two carbon atoms and each C also has two different atoms (or groups of atoms) attached to it, then two distinct cis-trans isomers are possible
28
enantiomers
isomers that are mirror images of each other and that differ in shape due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon (one that is attached to four different atoms or groups of atoms)
- left and right handed versions of a molecule
- usually only one enantiomer is biologically active becasue only that form can bind to specific molecules in an organism
29
functional groups
chemical groups that attach to carbon chains that have certain properties that cause it to participate in chemical reactions in a characteristic way
30
the seven chemical groups most important in biological processes:
hydroxyl: chemically reactive, hydrophilic
carbonyl: chemically reactive, hydrophilic
carboxyl: chemically reactive, hydrophilic
amino: chemically reactive, hydrophilic
sulfyhydryl: chemically reactive, hydrophobic
phosphate: chemically reactive, hydrophilic
methyl: not chemically reactive, hydrophilic, serves as a recognizable tag on biological molecules
31
hydroxyl group
-- OH
is polar due to electronegative oxygen
forms H-bonds with water
"alcohol"
32
carbonyl group
>C=O
sugars w/ ketone groups are ketoses, sugars w/ aldehydes are aldoses
ketone: carbonyl group w/in carbon skeleton
aldehyde: carbonyl group at end of carbon skeleton
33
carboxyl group
-- COOH
acts as an acid becaue covalent bond between O and H is polar
Carboxylic acid/organic acid
34
amino group
-- NH2
acts as a base
amine
35
sulfhydryl group
-- SH
two --SH can react, forming a "cross-link" that stabilizes protein structure
thiol
36
phosphate group
--OPO3(2-)
contributes 1- when positioned inside phosphate chain, contributes 2- when at the end
when attached, allows molecule to react with water, releasing energy
organic phosphate
37
methyl group
-- CH3
affects expression of genes when on DNA or on proteins bound to DNA
affects shape + function of male + female sex hormones
methylated compound
38
adenosine triphosphate
ATP
| more complicated organic phosphate
39
macromolecules
huge molecules: carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids
40
polymer
a long molecule consisting of many similar or identical building blocks linked by covalent bonds
41
monomers
the smaller molecules that are repeating units that serve as the building blocks of a polymer
42
enzymes
specialized macromolecules that speed up chemical reactions
43
dehydration reaction
a reaction in which two molecules are covalently bonded to each other w/ the loss of a water molecule
-ex: the reaction connecting monomers
44
hydrolysis
the process that is the revers of the dehydration reaction: disassembles polymers to monomers
45
monosaccharides
- have molecular formulas that are some multiple of CH2O
- can be either an aldose (aldehyde sugar) or a ketose (ketone sugar), depending on the placement of the carbonyl group
- carbon skeleton is 3-7 carbons long
- main source of nutrients for cells
46
disaccharide
two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage
47
glycosidic linkage
a covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction
48
polysaccharides
- macromolecules: polymers w/ a few hundred to a few thousand monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages
- serve as storage material, or a building material for structures that protect the cell or the whole organism
49
glycogen
a polysaccharide that is a polymer of glucose that is like amylopectin but more extensively branched
50
cellulose
a polysaccharide that is a major component of the tough walls that enclose plant cells
51
chitin
- another structural polysaccharide
| - the carbohydrate used by arthropods to build their exoskeletons
52
lipids
- not true polymers, and not big enough to be considered macromolecules
- mix poorly, if at all, with water
- consist mostly of hydrocarbo regions
53
fat
constructed from two kinds of smaller molecules: glycerol and fatty acids
54
fatty acid
has a long carbon skeleton (16-18 carbons) w/ a carboxyl group at one end
55
triacylglycerol
the fat formed from three fatty acid molecules joining to glycerol by an ester linkage
56
ester linkage
a bond formed by a dehydration reaction between a hydroxyl group and a carboxyl group
57
saturated fatty acid
no double bonds between carbon atoms composing a fatty acid chain, so as many hydrogen atoms as possible are bonded to carbon skeleton
-solid @ room temp
58
unsaturated fatty acid
a fatty acid w/ 1+ double bonds between carbons, resulting in 1 fewer hydrogen atom on each double-bonded carbon
- usually a cis double bond, creating a kink in teh hydrocarbon chain wherever it occurs
- liquid @ room temp
59
phospholipid
a lipid with only two fatty acids attached to glycerol rather than three
- hydrocarbon tails are hydrophobic
- phosphate group and its attachments form a head which is hydrophilic
- forms a bilayer when added to water
60
steroids
lipids with a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings
61
cholesterol
- a type of steroid
| - component of animal cell membranes
62
catalysts
chemical agents that selectively speed up chemical reactions without being consumed
63
polypeptide
a polymer of amino acids
64
protein
biologically functional molecule made up of 1+ polypeptides, folded and coiled into a specific 3D structure
65
amino acid
an organic molecule with an AMINO GROUP and a CARBOXYL GROUP
66
enzymatic proteins
selective acceleration of chemical reactions
67
storage proteins
storage of amino acids
68
hormonal proteins
coordination of an organism's activities
69
contractile and motor proteins
movement
70
defensive proteins
protection against disease
71
transport proteins
transport of substances
72
receptor proteins
response of cell to chemical stimuli
73
structural proteins
support
74
peptide bond
a bond formed when two amino acids are positioned so that the carboxyl group of one is adjacent to the amino group of the other so they can become joined by a dehydration reaction
75
primary structure of a protein
its sequence of amino acids
76
secondary structure of a protein
the coils and folds in a protein that are the result of hydrogen bonds between the oxygen and hydrogens in the polypeptide backbone
77
tertiary structure
the overall shape of a polypeptide resulting from interactions between the side chains of the amino acids
78
quaternary structure
the overall protein structure that results from the aggregation of the polypeptide subunits
79
denaturation
the process that cases a protein to unravel and lose its shape, due to the weak chemical bonds and interactions within a protein being destroyed
80
gene
the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide programmed by a discrete unit of inheritance
81
nucleic acids
polymers of monomers called nucleotides
82
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid
83
RNA
ribonucleic acid
84
polynucleotides
polymers of nucleotides
85
nucleotides
composed of a five-carbon sugar (a pentose), a nitrogenous base, and 1-3 phosphate groups
86
the families of nitrogenous bases:
1. pyrimidine: 1 six-membered ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms
- cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U)
2. purines: 1 six-membered ring of carbon fused to a five-membered ring
- adenine (A) and guanine (G)
87
differences in sugars between DNA and RNA
deoxyribose: in DNA; lacks an oxygen atom on the second carbon in the ring
ribose: in RNA; does not lack an oxygen atom
88
organelles
membrane-enclosed structures within eukaryotic cells
89
cytosol
a semifluid, jellylike substance in which subcellular components are suspended
90
eukaryotic cell
cells with organelles, and DNA contained in the nucleus
91
prokaryotic cell
cells without organelles, and their DNA is concentrated in the nucleoid region
92
plasma membrane
a selective barrier allowing passage of oxygen, nutrients, and wastes for the whole cell
93
nucleus
contains most of the genes in the eukaryotic cell
94
nuclear envelope
encloses the nucleus
95
nuclear lamina
a netlike array of protein filaments that maintains the shape of the nucleus by mechanically supporting the nuclear envelope
96
chromosomes
structures that carry genetic info
97
chromatin
complex of DNA and proteins making up chromosomes
98
nucleolus
where RNA is synthsized
99
ribosomes
complexes made of ribosomal RNAs and proteins
| -not membrane-bounded, therefore not organelles
100
endomembrane system
includes the nuclear envelope, the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, vesicles and vacuoles,j and the plasma membrane
101
endoplasmic reticulum
consists of a network of membranous tubules and sacs called cisternae
- smooth ER: outer surface lacks ribosomes; does metabolic processes such as synthesis of lipids, metabolism of carbohydrates, detoxification of drugs and poisons, and storage of calcium ions
- rough ER: studded with ribosomes on outer surface; makes secretory proteins, makes membranes
102
glycoproteins
proteins w/ carbs covalently bonded to them
103
transport vesicles
vesicles in transit from one part of the cell to another
104
Golgi apparatus
a warehouse for recieving, sorting, shipping, and manufacturing
105
lysosomes
membranous sac of hydrolytic enzymes that are used to digest macromolecules
106
phagocytosis
the process that amoebas and other unicellular eukaryotic cells use to eat by engulfing smaller organisms or food particles
107
vacuoles
large vesicles derived from the ER and Golgi apparatus
108
food vacuoles
formed by phagocytosis
109
contractile vacuoles
pump excess water out of the cell
110
central vacuole
the plant cell's main repository of inorganic ions
111
mitochondria
sites of cellular respiration
| generates ATP
112
chloroplasts
sites of photosynthesis
| drives synthesis or organic compounds such as sugars
