Week Two: Atoms, Molecules, and the Chemistry of life Flashcards
Atom
The smallest unit of an element that still retains the property of the element
Proton
A positively charged subatomic particle in the nucleus of an atom
Electron
A negatively charged subatomic particle with negligible mass in an atom
Neutron
An electrically uncharged subatomic particle in the nucleus of an atom
Covalent Bond
A strong interaction resulting from the sharing of a pair of electrons between two atoms
Macromolecules
Carbs, protein, lipids, and nucleic acid
Organic Molecules of life
Carbs: A strong interaction resulting from the sharing of a pair of electrons between two atoms
Protein: A macromolecule made up of repeating subunits called amino acids, which determine the shape and function of a protein. Proteins play many critical roles in living organisms
Lipids: Organic molecules that generally repel water
Nucleic Acid: Organic molecules made up of linked nucleotide subunits; DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) are examples
Monomer
One chemical subunit of a polymer
Polymer
A molecule made up of individual subunits, called monomers, linked together in a chain
Amino Acids
The building block, or monomer, of a protein
Nucleotides
The building blocks of DNA. Each nucleotide consists of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a base. The sequence of nucleotides (As, Cs, Gs, Ts) along a DNA strand is unique to each person
Phospholipids
A type of lipid that forms the cell membrane
Hydrophobic
“Water-fearing”; hydrophobic molecules repel water
Hydrophilic
“Water-loving”; hydrophilic molecules attract water
Polar Molecule
A molecule in which electrons are not shared equally between atoms, causing a partial negative charge at one end and a partial positive charge at the other. Water is a polar molecule
Hydrogen Bonds
A weak electrical attraction between a partially positive hydrogen atom and an atom with a partial negative charge
Cohesion
The attraction between molecules (or other particles)
Adhesion
The attraction between molecules (or other particles) and a surface
Solvent
A substance in which other substances can dissolve. Water is a good solvent
Solute
A dissolved substance
Solution
The mixture of solute and solvent
Ionic Bonds
A strong electrical attraction between oppositely charged ions formed by the transfer of one or more electrons from one atom to another
Ion
An electrically charged atom, the charge resulting from the loss or gain of electrons
