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trans-fat | a form of unsaturated fat with the hydrogen atoms neighboring the double bond across from each other rather than on the same side of the double bond |
acid | a substance that donates hydrogen ions and therefore lowers pH |
adhesion | the attraction between water molecules and molecules of a different substance |
amino acid | a monomer of a protein |
anion | a negative ion formed by gaining electrons |
atomic number | the number of protons in an atom |
base | a substance that absorbs hydrogen ions and therefore raises pH |
buffer | a solution that resists a change in pH by absorbing or releasing hydrogen or hydroxide ions |
carbohydrate | a biological macromolecule in which the ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen is 1:2:1; carbohydrates serve as energy sources and structural support in cells |
cation | a positive ion formed by losing electrons |
cellulose | a polysaccharide that makes up the cell walls of plants and provides structural support to the cell |
chemical bond | an interaction between two or more of the same or different elements that results in the formation of molecules |
chitin | a type of carbohydrate that forms the outer skeleton of arthropods, such as insects and crustaceans, and the cell walls of fungi |
cohesion | the intermolecular forces between water molecules caused by the polar nature of water; creates surface tension |
covalent bond | a type of strong bond between two or more of the same or different elements; forms when electrons are shared between elements |
denaturation | the loss of shape in a protein as a result of changes in temperature, pH, or exposure to chemicals |
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) | a double-stranded polymer of nucleotides that carries the hereditary information of the cell |
disaccharide | two sugar monomers that are linked together by a peptide bond |
electron transfer | the movement of electrons from one element to another |
electron | a negatively charged particle that resides outside of the nucleus in the electron orbital; lacks functional mass and has a charge of –1 |
element | one of 118 unique substances that cannot be broken down into smaller substances and retain the characteristic of that substance; each element has a specified number of protons and unique properties |
enzyme | a catalyst in a biochemical reaction that is usually a complex or conjugated protein |
evaporation | the release of water molecules from liquid water to form water vapor |
fat | a lipid molecule composed of three fatty acids and a glycerol (triglyceride) that typically exists in a solid form at room temperature |
glycogen | a storage carbohydrate in animals |
hormone | a chemical signaling molecule, usually a protein or steroid, secreted by an endocrine gland or group of endocrine cells; acts to control or regulate specific physiological processes |
hydrogen bond | a weak bond between partially positively charged hydrogen atoms and partially negatively charged elements or molecules |
hydrophilic | describes a substance that dissolves in water; water-loving |
hydrophobic | describes a substance that does not dissolve in water; water-fearing |
ionic bond | a chemical bond that forms between ions of opposite charges |
ion | an atom or compound that does not contain equal numbers of protons and electrons, and therefore has a net charge |
isotope | one or more forms of an element that have different numbers of neutrons |
lipids | a class of macromolecules that are nonpolar and insoluble in water |
litmus paper | filter paper that has been treated with a natural water-soluble dye so it can be used as a pH indicator |
macromolecule | a large molecule, often formed by polymerization of smaller monomers |
mass number | the number of protons plus neutrons in an atom |
matter | anything that has mass and occupies space |
monosaccharide | a single unit or monomer of carbohydrates |
neutron | a particle with no charge that resides in the nucleus of an atom; has a mass of 1 |
nonpolar covalent bond | a type of covalent bond that forms between atoms when electrons are shared equally between atoms, resulting in no regions with partial charges as in polar covalent bonds |
nucleic acid | a biological macromolecule that carries the genetic information of a cell and carries instructions for the functioning of the cell |
nucleotide | a monomer of nucleic acids; contains a pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base |
nucleus | (chemistry) the dense center of an atom made up of protons and (except in the case of a hydrogen atom) neutrons |
octet rule | states that the outermost shell of an element with a low atomic number can hold eight electrons |
oil | an unsaturated fat that is a liquid at room temperature |
pH scale | a scale ranging from 0 to 14 that measures the approximate concentration of hydrogen ions of a substance |
periodic table of elements | an organizational chart of elements, indicating the atomic number and mass number of each element; also provides key information about the properties of elements |
phospholipid | a major constituent of the membranes of cells; composed of two fatty acids and a phosphate group attached to the glycerol backbone |
polar covalent bond | a type of covalent bond in which electrons are pulled toward one atom and away from another, resulting in slightly positive and slightly negative charged regions of the molecule |
polypeptide | a long chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds |
polysaccharide | a long chain of monosaccharides; may be branched or unbranched |
protein | a biological macromolecule composed of one or more chains of amino acids |
proton | a positively charged particle that resides in the nucleus of an atom; has a mass of 1 and a charge of +1 |
radioactive isotope | an isotope that spontaneously emits particles or energy to form a more stable element |
ribonucleic acid (RNA) | a single-stranded polymer of nucleotides that is involved in protein synthesis |
saturated fatty acid | a long-chain hydrocarbon with single covalent bonds in the carbon chain; the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon skeleton is maximized |
solvent | a substance capable of dissolving another substance |
starch | a storage carbohydrate in plants |
steroid | a type of lipid composed of four fused hydrocarbon rings |
surface tension | the cohesive force at the surface of a body of liquid that prevents the molecules from separating |
temperature | a measure of molecular motion |
triglyceride | a fat molecule; consists of three fatty acids linked to a glycerol molecule |
unsaturated fatty acid | a long-chain hydrocarbon that has one or more than one double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain |
van der Waals interaction | a weak attraction or interaction between molecules caused by slightly positively charged or slightly negatively charged atoms |
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