Ap Biology; The Molecules Of Cells Ch 3

Front 1

alpha helix

Back 1

A spiral shape constituting one form of the secondary structure of proteins, arising from a specific hydrogen-bonding structure.

Front 2

amine

Back 2

An organic compound with one or more amino groups.

Front 3

amino acid

Back 3

An organic molecule possessing both carboxyl and amino groups. Amino acids serve as the monomers of proteins.

Front 4

amino group

Back 4

A functional group that consists of a nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms; can act as a base in solution, accepting a hydrogen ion and acquiring a charge of +1.

Front 5

anabolic steroids

Back 5

A synthetic variant of the male hormone testosterone that mimics some of its effects.

Front 6

carbohydrate

Back 6

A sugar (monosaccharide) or one of its dimers (disaccharides) or polymers (polysaccharides).

Front 7

carbon skeleton

Back 7

The chain of carbon atoms in organic molecules.

Front 8

carbonyl group

Back 8

A functional group present in aldehydes and ketones and consisting of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom.

Front 9

carboxyl group

Back 9

A functional group present in organic acids and consisting of a single carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom and also bonded to a hydroxyl group.

Front 10

carboxylic acid

Back 10

An organic compound containing a carboxyl group.

Front 11

cellulose

Back 11

A structural polysaccharide of cell walls, consisting of glucose monomers joined by b-1, 4-glycosidic linkages.

Front 12

dehydration synthesis

Back 12

A chemical process in which a polymer forms as monomers are linked by the removal of water molecules. One molecule of water is removed for each pair of monomers linked.

Front 13

denaturation

Back 13

For proteins, a process in which a protein unravels and loses its native conformation, thereby becoming biologically inactive. For DNA, the separation of the two strands of the double helix. occurs under extreme conditions; pH, salt concentration, and temperature.

Front 14

deoxyribonucleic acid

Back 14

(DNA)A double-stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule capable of replicating and determining the inherited structure of a cell's proteins.

Front 15

disaccharide

Back 15

A double sugar, consisting of two monosaccharides joined by dehydration synthesis.

Front 16

double helix

Back 16

The form of native DNA, referring to its two adjacent polynucleotide strands wound into a spiral shape.

Front 17

enzyme

Back 17

A protein serving as a catalyst, a chemical agent that changes the rate of a reaction without being consumed by the reaction.

Front 18

fat

Back 18

(triacylglycerol) A biological compound consisting of three fatty acids linked to one glycerol molecule.

Front 19

functional group

Back 19

A specific configuration of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules and usually involved in chemical reactions.

Front 20

gene

Back 20

A discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA, in some viruses).

Front 21

glycogen

Back 21

An extensively branched glucose storage polysaccharide found in the liver and muscle of animals; the animal equivalent of starch.

Front 22

hydrocarbon

Back 22

An organic molecule consisting only of carbon and hydrogen.

Front 23

hydrolysis

Back 23

A chemical process that lyses, or splits, molecules by the addition of water; an essential process in digestion.

Front 24

hydrophilic

Back 24

Having an affinity for water.

Front 25

hydrophobic

Back 25

Having an aversion to water; tending to coalesce and form droplets in water.

Front 26

hydroxyl group

Back 26

A functional group consisting of a hydrogen atom joined to an oxygen atom by a polar covalent bond. Molecules possessing this group are soluble in water and are called alcohols.

Front 27

isomer

Back 27

One of several organic compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures and therefore different properties. The three types of isomers are structural isomers, geometric isomers, and enantiomers.

Front 28

lipid

Back 28

One of a family of compounds, including fats, phospholipids, and steroids, that are insoluble in water.

Front 29

macromolecule

Back 29

A giant molecule formed by the joining of smaller molecules, usually by a condensation reaction. Polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids are macromolecules.

Front 30

monomer

Back 30

The subunit that serves as the building block of a polymer.

Front 31

monosaccharide

Back 31

The simplest carbohydrate, active alone or serving as a monomer for disaccharides and polysaccharides. Also known as simple sugars, the molecular formulas of monosaccharides are generally some multiple of CH2O.

Front 32

nitrogenous base

Back 32

An organic base that contains the element nitrogen.

Front 33

nucleic acid

Back 33

A polymer (polynucleotide) consisting of many nucleotide monomers; serves as a blueprint for proteins and, through the actions of proteins, for all cellular activities. The two types are DNA and RNA.

Front 34

nucleotide

Back 34

The building block of a nucleic acid, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group.

Front 35

organic compound

Back 35

A chemical compound containing the element carbon and usually synthesized by cells.

Front 36

peptide bond

Back 36

The covalent bond between two amino acid units, formed by a dehydration reaction.

Front 37

phosphate group

Back 37

A functional group important in energy transfer.

Front 38

phospholipid

Back 38

A molecule that is a constituent of the inner bilayer of biological membranes, having a polar, hydrophilic head and a nonpolar, hydrophobic tail.

Front 39

pleated sheet

Back 39

One form of the secondary structure of proteins in which the polypeptide chain folds back and forth, or where two regions of the chain lie parallel to each other and are held together by hydrogen bonds.

Front 40

polymer

Back 40

A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together.

Front 41

polypeptide

Back 41

A polymer (chain) of many amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.

Front 42

polysaccharide

Back 42

A polymer of up to over a thousand monosaccharides, formed by dehydration reactions.

Front 43

primary structure

Back 43

The level of protein structure referring to the specific sequence of amino acids.

Front 44

protein

Back 44

A three-dimensional biological polymer constructed from a set of 20 different monomers called amino acids.

Front 45

quaternary structure

Back 45

The particular shape of a complex, aggregate protein, defined by the characteristic three-dimensional arrangement of its constituent subunits, each a polypeptide.

Front 46

ribonucleic acid

Back 46

(RNA)A type of nucleic acid consisting of nucleotide monomers with a ribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U); usually single-stranded; functions in protein synthesis and as the genome of some viruses.

Front 47

saturated

Back 47

Pertaining to fats and fatty acids whose hydrocarbon chains contain the maximum number of hydrogens and therefore have no double covalent bonds. Saturated fats and fatty acids solidify at room temperature.

Front 48

secondary structure

Back 48

The localized, repetitive coiling or folding of the polypeptide backbone of a protein due to hydrogen bond formation between peptide linkages.

Front 49

starch

Back 49

A storage polysaccharide in plants consisting entirely of glucose.

Front 50

steroids

Back 50

A type of lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four rings with various functional groups attached.

Front 51

tertiary structure

Back 51

Irregular contortions of a protein molecule due to interactions of side chains involved in hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and disulfide bridges.

Front 52

triglyceride

Back 52

A fat, which consists of a molecule of glycerol linked to three fatty acids.

Front 53

unsaturated

Back 53

Pertaining to fats and fatty acids whose hydrocarbon chains lack the maximum number of hydrogen atoms and therefore have one or more double covalent bonds. Unsaturated fats and fatty acids do not solidify at room temperature.

Front 54

waxes

Back 54

A lipid that consists of one fatty acid linked to an alcohol.