Chapter 1: The Chemical Basis of Life Flashcards

1
Q

Isotopes

A

Different atoms of the same element containing the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Radioisotopes

A

Radioactive atoms of an element that spontaneously decay into smaller atoms, subatomic particles, and energy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Half-Life

A

The time it takes for one-half of the nuclei in a radioactive sample to decay.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Radioactive Tracers

A

Radioisotopes that are used to follow chemicals through chemical reactions and trace their path as they move through the cells and bodies of organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Orbitals

A

Volumes of space around the nucleus where electrons are most likely to be found.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Valence Electrons

A

Electrons located in outermost s and p orbitals that determine an atom’s chemical behavior.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Intramolecular Forces of Attraction

A

The covalent bond that holds the atoms of a molecule together, and the ionic bond that holds ions together in a salt.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Electronegativity

A

A measure of an atom’s ability to attract a shared electron pair when it is participating in a covalent bond.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Hybridization

A

For atoms, a modification of the valence orbitals that changes the orientation of the valence electrons; in genetic coding, complementary base pairing between strands of nucleic acids via hydrogen bonding.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Intermolecular Bonds

A

Chemical bonds between molecules.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Van der Waals Forces

A

Intermolecular forces of attraction including London Forces, dipole-dipole forces and hydrogen bonds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Miscible

A

Describes liquids that dissolve into one another.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Immiscible

A

Describes liquids that form separate liquids instead of dissolving.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Hydrophobic

A

Having an aversion to water; the tendancy of nonpolar molecules to exclude water.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Hydrophilic

A

Having an affinity to water; the tendency of polar and ionic substances to dissolve in water.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Neutralization Reaction

A

The reaction of an acid and a base to produce water and salt.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Strong Acids

A

Acids that ionize completely in aqueous solution.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Strong Bases

A

Bases that ionize completely in aqueous solution.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Weak Acids

A

Acids that partially ionize in aqueous solution.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Weak Bases

A

Bases that partially ionize in aqueous solution.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Equilibrium

A

A condition in which opposing reactions occur at equal rates.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Buffers

A

Chemical systems containing a substance that can donate H+ ions when they are required and containing a substance that can remove H+ ions when there are too many in a solution.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Activation Energy

A

The difference between the energy level of the transition state and the potential energy of reacting molecules.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Activator

A

A substance that binds to an allosteric site on an enzyme and stabilizes the protein conformation that keeps all the active site available to their substrates.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Active Site

A

The location where the substrate binds to an enzyme.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

A

A nucleotide derivative that acts as the primary energy-transferring molecule in living organisms.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Allosteric Inhibitor

A

A substance that binds to an allosteric site on an enzyme and stabilizes the inactive form of the enzyme.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Allosteric Sites

A

Receptor sites, some distance from the active site of certain enzymes, that bind substances that may inhibit or stimulate an enzyme’s activity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Alpha (α) Helix

A

A type of polypeptide secondary structure characterized by a tight coil that is stabilized by hydrogen bonds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Amino Terminus

A

The free amino group at one end of a polypeptide.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Anabolic Reactions

A

Reactions that produce large molecules from smaller subunits.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Antiparallel

A

Describes two adjacent nucleotides running in opposite directions relative to one another.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

β-pleated sheet

A

Polypeptide secondary structures that form between parallel stretches of a polypeptide and are stabilized by hydrogen bonds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Bond Energy

A

The minimum energy required to break one mole of bonds between two species of atoms; a measure of the stability of a chemical bond.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Bonding Capacity

A

The number of covalent bonds an atom can form with neighbouring atoms.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Carboxyl Terminus

A

The free carboxyl group at one end of a polypeptide.

37
Q

Catabolic Reactions

A

Reactions that break macromolecules into their individual subunits.

38
Q

Chaperone Proteins

A

Special proteins that aid a growing polypeptide to fold into tertiary structure.

39
Q

Coenzymes

A

Organic nonprotein cofactors that are needed for some enzymes to function.

40
Q

Cofactors

A

Nonprotein components, such as dissolved ions, that are needed for some enzymes to function.

41
Q

Competitive Inhibitors

A

Substances that compete with the substrate for an enzyme’s active site.

42
Q

Condensation Reaction

dehydration synthesis

A

A reaction that creates a covalent bond between two interacting subunits,linking them to each other.

43
Q

Conformation

A

The three-dimensional shape of a protein determined by the sequence of amino acids it contains.

44
Q

Disulfide Bridge

A

Covalent bonds between cysteine residues in a polypeptide that stabilize tertiary structure.

45
Q

Endergonic Reaction

A

A chemical reaction in which the energy of the products is more than the energy of the reactants; chemists call it an endothermic reaction.

46
Q

Energy

A

The ability to do work.

47
Q

Entropy

A

A measure of the randomness or disorder in a collection of objects or energy; symbolized by S.

48
Q

Enzyme–Substrate Complex

A

An enzyme with its substrate attached to the active site.

49
Q

Essential Amino Acids

A

Amino acids that the body cannot synthesize from simpler compounds; they must be obtained from the diet.

50
Q

Ester Linkage

A

A functional group linkage formed by the condensation of a carboxyl group and a hydroxyl group.

51
Q

Exergonic Reaction

A

A chemical reaction in which the energy of the products is less than the energy of the reactants; chemists call it an exothermic reaction.

52
Q

Feedback Inhibition

A

A method of metabolic control in which a product formed later in a sequence of reactions allosterically inhibits an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction occurring earlier in the process.

53
Q
Free Energy (Gibbs free
energy)
A

Energy that can do useful work.

54
Q

Functional Groups

A

Reactive clusters of atoms attached to the carbon backbone of organic molecules.

55
Q

Globular Proteins

A

Protein molecules composed of one or more polypeptide chains that take on a rounded,spherical shape.

56
Q

Glycosidic Linkages

A

Covalent bonds holding monosaccharides to one another that are formed by condensation reactions in which the H atom comes from a hydroxyl group of one sugar and the —OH group comes from a hydroxyl group of the other.

57
Q

Hydrolysis Reaction

A

A catabolic reaction in which a water molecule is used to break a covalent bond holding subunits together.

58
Q

Induced-fit Model

A

A model of enzyme activity that describes an enzyme as a dynamic protein molecule that changes shape to better accommodate the substrate.

59
Q

Isomers

A

Molecules with the same chemical formula but with a different arrangement of atoms.

60
Q

Kinetic Energy

A

Energy possessed by moving objects.

61
Q

Macromolecules

A

Large molecules sometimes composed of a large number of repeating subunit.

62
Q

Metabolism

A

The sum of all anabolic and catabolic processes in a cell or organism.

63
Q

Micelles

A

Spheres formed when phospholipids are added to water.

64
Q

Noncompetitive Inhibitors

A

Substances that attach to a binding site on an enzyme other than the active site,causing a change in the enzyme’s shape and a loss of affinity for its substrate.

65
Q

Oligosaccharides

A

Sugars containing several simple sugars attached to one another.

66
Q

Oxidation

A

A chemical reaction in which an atom loses one or more electrons.

67
Q

Oxidizing Agent

A

The substance that gains an electron in a redox reaction; the substance that causes the oxidized atom to become oxidized.

68
Q

Peptide Bonds

A

The amide linkage that holds amino acids together in polypeptides.

69
Q

Phosphorylation

A

The process of attaching a phosphate group to an organic molecule.

70
Q

Potential Energy

A

Energy stored by virtue of an object’s position within an attractive or repulsive force field.

71
Q

Potential Energy Diagram

A

A diagram showing the changes in potential energy that take place during a chemical reaction.

72
Q

Primary Structure

A

The unique sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

73
Q

Quaternary Structure

A

Two or more polypeptide subunits forming a functional protein.

74
Q

Redox Reaction

A

A chemical reaction involving the transfer of one or more electrons from one atom to another; a reaction in which oxidation and reduction occur.

75
Q

Reducing Agent

A

The substance that loses an electron in a redox reaction; the substance that causes the reduced atom to become reduced.

76
Q

Reduction

A

A chemical reaction in which an atom gains one or more electrons.

77
Q

Residue

A

An amino acid subunit of a polypeptide.

78
Q

Secondary Structure

A

Coils and folds in a polypeptide caused by hydrogen bonds between hydrogen and oxygen atoms near the peptide bonds.

79
Q

Strand

A

A single nucleotide polymer.

80
Q

Substrate

A

The reactant that an enzyme acts on when it catalyzes a chemical reaction.

81
Q

Tertiary Structure

A

Supercoiling of a polypeptide that is stabilized by side-chain interactions,including covalent bonds, such as disulfide bridges.

82
Q

Transition State

A

In a chemical reaction,a temporary condition in which the bonds within reactants are breaking and the bonds between products are forming.

83
Q

Triacylglycerols (triglycerides)

A

Lipids containing three fatty acids attached to a single molecule of glycerol.

84
Q

Van der Waals Forces

A

Intermolecular forces of attraction including London forces,dipole–dipole forces,and hydrogen bonds.

85
Q

Valence Shell Electron

A

Electrons located in outermost s and p orbitals that determine an atom’s chemical behaviour.

86
Q

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory

A

A method for predicting molecular shape based on the mutual repulsion of valence electron pairs.

87
Q

Work

A

The transfer of energy from one body or place to another.

88
Q

C = O

A

Carbonyl Group