Unit 1 Biochemistry Vocabulary – Flashcards
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base
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a compound that when added to water releases hydroxide (OH-)
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acid
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a compound that when added to water releases hydrogen ions (H+)
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pH scale or pH
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a measure of the amount of H+ ions in a solution
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hydronium
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H3O+; formed when water and hydrogen ions are mixed
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hydrogen ion
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H+; released by an acid
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hydroxide
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OH-; released by a base
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amino acid
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monomer of proteins (there are 20)
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protein
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macromolecule made of amino acids; polypeptide
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saccharide
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sugar; monomer of carbohydrates
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carbohydrate
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macromolecule made of sugars or saccharides
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fatty acid
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monomer of lipids
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lipid
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macromolecule of fatty acids
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nucleotide
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monomer of nucleic acids
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nucleic acid
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macromolecule of nucleotides; DNA, RNA, ATP
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peptide bond
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bond between 2 amino acids formed via dehydration synthesis
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glycosidic bond or linkage
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a covalent bond that joins a sugar molecule to another group that may or may not be a carbohydrate
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macromolecule
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a very large molecule
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complex carbohydrate
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branched polysaccharide
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simple sugar
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monosaccharide; disaccharide; un-branched polysaccharide
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reactant
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left side of a chemical equation
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product
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right side of chemical equation
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activation energy
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amount of energy required for a reaction to occur (speed bump)
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endothermic reaction
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a reaction that absorbs energy; products contain more energy than reactants; cold pack
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exothermic reaction
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a reaction the releases energy; products contain less energy than reactants; burning candle
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catalyst
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speeds up a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy
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enzyme
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a biological catalyst; usually made of protein
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active site
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where an enzyme bonds to a substrate
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substrate
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reactant on which an enzyme acts
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competitive inhibition
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when an inhibitor bonds to the active site of an enzyme
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noncompetitive inhibition
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when an inhibitor bonds to a allosteric site on an enzyme, effectively changing its shape and making it non-functional
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allosteric site
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a bonding site on an enzyme other than the active site; usually used by a noncompetitive inhibitor
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ion
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a charge atom; due to loss (+) or gain (-) of an electron
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isotope
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atoms with the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in the same atom with different atomic mass; Carbon 12 & Carbon 14
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hydrogen bond
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strongest of all van der Waal forces; an attraction between a hydrogen that is attached to an electronegative atom of one molecule and another electronegative atom
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polar molecule
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a molecule that has direction due to slight charge difference caused by a difference in electronegativity of the the atoms in the molecule
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adhesion
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attraction of a water molecule to a molecule other than water via a hydrogen bond
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cohesion
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attraction of a water molecule to another water molecule via a hydrogen bond
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capillary action
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the upward movement of water that relies on the cohesive and adhesive properties; does not require energy
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covalent bond
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a strong bond between atoms sharing electrons
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ionic bond
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a bond between 2 ions due to the electrostatic force of opposite charges
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van der Waals force
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an attraction between two atoms/compounds that are very close together due to slight changes in electrical charge caused by electron movement; very weak bond
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heterogeneous mixture
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a mixture of 2 or more compounds (liquids, gases, solids) where each component remains separated
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homogeneous mixture
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a mixture of 2 or more compounds (liquids, gases, solids)
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solution
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homogeneous mixture
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polypeptide
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an amino acid chain; protein
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solute
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component of a solution that is dissolved; sugar
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solvent
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component of a solution that is the dissolver; water is often considered the universal solvent
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saturated fat
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lipid with single bonds between carbon atoms; solid at room temperature; butter, lard
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unsaturated fat
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lipid with one or more double bonds between carbon atoms; liquid at room temperature; oil
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compound
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a substance composed of atoms of two or more elements or ions
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element
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a chemical substance consisting of atoms having the same number of protons in their atomic nuclei
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molecule
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smallest particle in a chemical element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound (no ions, covalent bonds)
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nonpolar
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equal sharing of the bond electrons, arise when the electronegativities of the two atoms are equal; fats
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hydrophilic
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polar molecule; mixes with water; "water lover"
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hydrophobic
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nonpolar; does not mix with water; "fear of water"
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phospholipid
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primary component of cell membranes; consists of a phosphate head and two fatty acid tails
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organic
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a compound that contains carbon
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denature or denaturation
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to permanently change the shape of a protein by exposing it to an increase in temperature or a change in pH
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dehydration synthesis
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metabolic reaction between monomers where the removal of a water molecule results in the bonding of two monomers (AKA condensation reactions)
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hydrolysis
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a catabolic reaction where the addition of water breaks apart two bonded monomers
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monomer
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one unit of a macromolecule
