Vocabulary Flashcards
atom
the basic unit of matter
nucleus
formed by strong forces binding protons and neutrons together at the center of the atom; overall positively charged due to having both neutrons and protons
electron
a negatively charged particle (-); they have a charge of -1
element
pure substances that consists entirely of one type of atom (represented by one or two letter symbols); can’t be broken down into simpler substances
isotopes
atoms of the same element that differ in the number of neutrons they contain
compound
a substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in definite proportions; when 2 or more elements have been chemically combined together through a chemical reaction to form a new substance
ionic bond
formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another
ions
positively and negatively charged atoms
covalent bond
the moving of electrons that travel about the nuclei of both atoms; electrons shared between two atoms
molecule
the structure that results when atoms are joined together by covalent bonds (smallest unit of most compounds)
Van der Waals force
weak interactions is the attraction between molecules; produce a slight attraction between the molecules when they are very close together
monomer
smaller units
polymer
monomers that are joined together
carbohydrates
made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms; usually a ratio of 1:2:1 (examples include starch sugar and cellulose)
lipids
mostly made from carbon and hydrogen atoms; they include the compounds we call fats, oils, and waxes
nucleotides
monomers that consist of three components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group (-PO4 ), and a nitrogenous base
nucleic acids
polymers assembled from nucleotides; its function is like store (with DNA - containing information & RNA - translates/transports the message)