Biochemistry

Atom

The smallest particle of an element.

Nucleus

The center of the atom which is made of positively charged particles called protons.

Isotopes

atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.

Compound

a substance that is composed of atoms of different elements chemically combined.

covalent bond

is when two atoms share electrons and have a force that holds them together

Molecule

a group of atoms held together by covalent bonds and having no overall change.

Ion

the electrical charge atoms that gain or lose electrons have.

Mixture

is a combination of substances in which each individual substance retains their own properties.

Solution

is a mixture in which one or more substances are distributed forming other substances.

Polar molecule

is a molecule with an unequal distribution of charge.

Hydrogen Bond

the attraction of opposite charges

Metabolism

all chemical reactions that occur within an organism.

pH

a measure of how acidic or basic a solution is.

Base

is any substance that forms hydroxide ions in water.

Isomers

are compounds that have the same simple formula but different three dimensional structures.

Polymer

is a large molecule formed when many smaller molecules bond together.

Carbohydrate

is an organic compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen with a ratio of about two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom for every carbon atom.

Monosaccharide

is the simplest type of carbohydrate which is a simple sugar.

Disaccharide

is what is formed when two monosaccharide molecules link together.

Polysaccharides

are polymers composed of many monosaccharide subunits.

Starch

consists of highly branched chains of glucose units and is used as food storage by plants.

Glycogen

is glucose polymer similar to starch but more highly branched.

Cellulose

is a glucose polymer that forms the cell walls of plants and gives plants structural support.

Lipids

are organic compounds that have a large proportion of C-H bonds and less oxygen than carbohydrates.

Protein

is a large complex polymer composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.

Amino Acids

are the basic building blocks of proteins.

Peptide Bond

is the covalent bond formed between amino acids.

Enzyme

is a protein that speeds up a chemical reaction.

Nucleic Acid

is a complex macromolecule that stores information in cells in the form of a code.

Nucleotides

consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus atoms arranged in three groups.

DNA

is the master copy of an organism's information code

RNA

is a nucleic acid that forms a copy of DNA for use in protein synthesis.