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Biochemistry Flashcards

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7580604709carbohydrate"Compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the approximate ratio of C:2H:O (e.g., sugars, starches, and cellulose)"0
7580604710pHa measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base. pH is really a measure of the relative amount of free hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in the water.1
7580604711compoundA pure substance made of two or more elements CHEMICALLY combined.2
7580604712moleculeA neutral group of atoms joined together by covalent bonds; smallest unit of a compound joined together3
7580604713cellBasic unit of life4
7580604714calorieAmount of energy needed to raise temperature 1 gram of water 1 degree C'; A unit of heat used to measure the energy your body uses and the energy it receives from food5
7580604715energyAbility to do work or cause change6
7580604716elementA pure substance made of only one kind of atom7
7580604717phosphate bonda high-energy chemical bond that is especially important between the 2nd and 3rd phosphate groups in an ATP molecule8
7580604718starchA storage polysaccharide in plants consisting entirely of glucose.9
7580604719organicCarbon-containing10
7580604720inorganicDoes not contain carbon; Not formed from living things or the remains of living things11
7580604721synthesisCombining of small molecules or substances into larger, more complex ones; A+B=AB12
7580604722proteinA macromolecule that contains the principal components of organisms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen; performs a variety of structural and regulatory functions for cells.13
7580604723energy storagecarbohydrates and lipids14
7580604724structural support15
7580604725dehydration reactionA chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a water molecule.16
7580604726biological moleculechemical compounds that provide physical structure and bring about movement, energy use, and other cellular functions in a living organism17
7580604727active siteRegion of an enzyme into which a particular substrate fits.18
7580604728activation energythe minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction19
7580604729saturated fatA lipid made from fatty acids that have no double bonds between carbon atoms; A fat that is solid at room temperature and found in animal fats, lards, and dairy products.20
7580604730unsaturated fatA lipid made from fatty acids that have at least one double bond between carbon atoms; A fat that is liquid at room temperature and found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.21
7580604731fatty acidBuilding Blocks of Lipids; substances produced when fats are digested; simple forms of fat that supply energy fuel for most of the body's cells; unbranched carbon chains that make up most lipids22
7580604732steroidsA type of lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four rings with various functional groups attached.23
7580604733exothermic reactionA reaction that releases energy in the form of heat24
7580604734endothermic reactionA reaction that ABSORBS energy in the form of heat25
7580604735fructase-ase suffix Most enzymes end in "-ase" suffix, but not all enzymes. Some enzymes were named prior to the adoption of this process; "ose" turns to "ase" after decomposition reactions; structural -- what gives a macromolecule its shape [chitin]26
7580604736"ose"used in biochemistry to form the names of sugars27
7580604737chemical structureThe way atoms in a compound are bonded it represents the structure of a compound.28
7580604738covalent bondA chemical bond that involves sharing a pair of electrons between atoms in a molecule29
7580604739ionic bondFormed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another30
7580604740polar moleculeMolecule with an unequal distribution of charge, resulting in the molecule having a positive end and a negative end31
7580604741hydrogen bondA type of weak chemical bond formed when the slightly positive hydrogen atom of a polar covalent bond in one molecule is attracted to the slightly negative atom of a polar covalent bond in another molecule.32
7580604742biochemicalThe changing of organic matter into other chemical forms such as fuels.33
7580604743macromoleculeA very large organic molecule composed of many smaller molecules; a molecule containing a very large number of atoms, such as a protein, nucleic acid, or synthetic polymer.34
7580604744catalyst(chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected35
7580604745enzymeA type of protein that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living thing36
7580604746substrateA specific reactant acted upon by an enzyme; reactant of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction37
7580604747polymerA long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together.38
7580604748monomersmall chemical unit that makes up a polymer39
7580604749polysaccharideA polymer of thousands of simple sugars formed by dehydration synthesis; Carbohydrates that are made up of more than two monosaccharides40
7580604750disaccharideA double sugar molecule made of two monosaccharides bonded together through dehydration synthesis.41
7580604751monosacchridesingle sugar molecule42
7580604752fructoseA monosaccharide found predominantly in fruit and honey43
7580604753celluloseA large polysaccharide composed of many glucose monomers linked into cable-like fibrils that provide structural support in plant cell walls.44
7580604754lipidEnergy-rich organic compounds, such as fats, oils, and waxes, that are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.45
7580604755nucleotideA building block of DNA, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group.46
7580604756amino acidBuilding blocks of protein47
7580604757nucleic acid(biochemistry) any of various macromolecules composed of nucleotid chains that are vital constituents of all living cells48
7580604758peptideThe chemical bond that forms between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another amino acid49
7580604759triglycerideComposed of three molecules of fatty acids joined to one molecule of glycerol50
7580604760dehydration synthesisA chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a water molecule.51
7580604761glycerolA three-carbon alcohol to which fatty acids are covalently bonded to make fats and oils.52
7580604762phospholipidA molecule that is a constituent of the inner bilayer of biological membranes, having a polar, hydrophilic head and a nonpolar, hydrophobic tail.53
7580604763maltosea 12-carbon sugar that is formed by the union of two glucose units (a disaccharide)54
7580604764cyclicoccurring in cycles; regularly repeated55
7580604765chitina fibrous substance consisting of polysaccharides56
7580604766hydrolysisA chemical reaction that breaks bonds between two molecules by the addition of water; functions in disassembly of polymers to monomers.57
7580604767sucroseA disaccharide made of glucose + fructose; Table sugar58
7580604768glycogenA highly branched polymer of glucose containing thousands of subunits; functions as a compact store of glucose molecules in liver and muscle fibers59
7580604769hexosescarbohydrates with six carbon atoms60
7580604770enzyme activitythe ability of an enzyme to do work and is mainly dependent on substrate concentration61
7580604771enzyme substrate complexA temporary complex formed when an enzyme binds to its substrate molecule(s).62
7580604772polymerizationAn organic reaction in which many small units are joined together to form a long chain63

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