Term DefinitionWater Polar
Cohesion – water molecules stay close to each other surface tension
Adhesion – water molecules stick to other polar surfaces High specific heat – takes a lot of energy to raise the
temperature High heat of vaporization – takes a lot of energy to change water’s phase evaporative cooling – water that are changed into the gas phase carry a lot of energy with it
Universal solventHydrocarbon Molecules consisting of only carbon and hydrogenIsomers Compounds that have the same number of atoms of the same
elements but different structures Structural Isomers – differ in covalent partners Geometric Isomers – differ in arrangement of double bonds
(cis/trans)Enantiomers Molecules that mirror the image of each otherFunctional Groups Components of organic molecules that are most commonly
involved in chemical reactionsPolymer Long molecule consisting of many similar or identical building
blocks linked by covalent bondsMonomer Repeating building blocks that make up a polymerCondensation Reaction/Dehydration Reaction
Monomers are covalently bonded to each other through the loss of a water molecule
Hydrolysis Break covalent bonds between monomers releasing waterCarbohydrate Include both sugars and the polymers of sugarsMonosaccharide Monomer sugarDisaccharide Two monosaccharideGlycosidic Linkage Covalent bond formed between two monosaccharide by a
dehydration reactionPolysaccharide Macromolecules that could have several hundred sugars linked
togetherStarch Storage polysaccharide of plants, a polymer consisting of
entirely glucose monomers Joined together by 1-4 linkages helical structure
(amylose) Joined by 1-6 linkages branched (amylopectin)
Glycogen Storage polysaccharide used by animals More extensively branched than amylopectin
Cellulose Structural polysaccharide in plants 1-4 beta linkage alternates OH and CH2OH groups
hydrogen bonds between parallel chains
Chitin Structural carbohydrate used by animals to build exoskeletonsFat Not polymers
Glycerol – alcohol with three carbons Fatty acids – long carbon skeleton usually 16-18 carbon
atoms in length. Carboxyl group at the end gives the name fatty “acid”
Triacylglycerol Three fatty acids linked to one glycerol moleculeSaturated fatty acid No double bondsUnsaturated fatty acid At least one double bondPhospholipid Two fatty acid tails linked to glycerol linked to a phosphate group
Steroids Rings with attached functional groupsProteins Account for more than 50% of the dry mass in cells
Amino acids are monomers of proteins Central Carbon Carboxyl and Amino Group R group
Four Levels of Protein Structure
1. Primary The order of the amino acids Joined by peptide bonds
2. Secondary Coiling and folding of the polypeptide chain Hydrogen bonds between repeating constiuents Alpha helix coil Beta pleated sheet connected side by side to
form a sheet3. Tertiary
Interactions between R groups Hydrophobic interactions Disulfide bridges (S-S bond)
4. Quaternary Aggregation of polypeptide subunits
Chaperonins Proteins molecules that assist the proper folding of other proteinsNucleic Acid Monomers of genetic material. Can also be used for energy (ATP,
GTP, etc.)Denaturation The destruction of secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures
of a protein. Primary structure is left intactUnit 1 – Chemistry of Life (Chapter 2-5)
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