Term Definition

Water 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 waters phase evaporative cooling
water that are changed into the gas phase carry a lot of
energy with it
Universal solvent
Hydrocarbon Molecules consisting of only carbon and hydrogen
Isomers 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 other
Functional Groups Components of organic molecules that are most commonly
involved in chemical reactions
Polymer Long molecule consisting of many similar or identical building
blocks linked by covalent bonds
Monomer Repeating building blocks that make up a polymer
Condensation Reaction/
Dehydration Reaction
Monomers are covalently bonded to each other through the loss
of a water molecule
Hydrolysis Break covalent bonds between monomers releasing water
Carbohydrate Include both sugars and the polymers of sugars
Monosaccharide Monomer sugar
Disaccharide Two monosaccharide
Glycosidic Linkage Covalent bond formed between two monosaccharide by a
dehydration reaction
Polysaccharide Macromolecules that could have several hundred sugars linked
together
Starch 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
Unit 1 Chemistry of Life (Chapter 2-5)
hydrogen bonds between parallel chains
Chitin Structural carbohydrate used by animals to build exoskeletons
Fat 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 molecule
Saturated fatty acid No double bonds
Unsaturated fatty acid At least one double bond
Phospholipid Two fatty acid tails linked to glycerol linked to a phosphate group

Steroids Rings with attached functional groups
Proteins 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 sheet
3. 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 proteins
Nucleic 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 intact