The Chemical Building Blocks Of Life

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Atom

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The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, consisting of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.

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Neutron

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A subatomic particle forming part of the nucleus of an atom. It has no charge. It is equal in mass to a proton or it weighs 1 amu.

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Proton

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Positively charged subatomic particle forming part of the nucleus of an atom and determining the atomic number of an element. It weighs 1 amu

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Nucleus

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The positively charged central part of an atom, made up of protons and neutrons.

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Matter

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Something that has mass and takes up space (has volume) and makes up almost everything in the world.

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Electron

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the subatomic particle that has a negative charge and orbits the nucleus; the flow of electrons in a conductor constitutes electricity.

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Element

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Any one of the simplest chemical substances that cannot be changed in a chemical reaction or by any chemical means. Made up of atoms that all have the same number of protons.

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Molecule

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Two or more atoms that are held together by a chemical covalent bond.

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Atomic Number

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The number, equal to the number of protons in an atom, that determines its chemical properties. Symbol: Z.

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Mass Number

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The sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons in an atom.

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Isotopes

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A variant of a particular chemical element, which shares the same number of protons as other atoms of the element, but differs in its number of neutrons.

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Neutral Atoms

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contain an equal number of protons and electrons.

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ions

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a charged atom or molecule. It is charged because the number of electrons do not equal the number of protons in the atom or molecule.

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Atomic Mass Unit

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There are three particles that make up an atom, proton, neutron and electron. Themass of protons and neutrons is considered to be equal though in reality neutrons are heavier than protons; the mass of electrons is very less and ignored in the calculation

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ligand

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an ion, molecule, or functional group that binds to another chemical entity to form a larger complex

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protein

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any of numerous large, complex naturally-produced molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids, in which the amino acid groups are held together by peptide bonds

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hydrogen bond

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A weak bond in which a hydrogen atom already covalently bonded to a oxygen or nitrogen atom in one molecule is attracted to an electronegative atom (usually nitrogen or oxygen) in the same or different molecule.

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covalent bond

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A type of chemical bond where two atoms are connected to each other by the sharing of two or more electrons.

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electronegativity

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The tendency of an atom or molecule to draw electrons towards itself, form dipoles, and thus form bonds.

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Polar Covalent Bond

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arises when two atoms of different electronegativity share two electrons unequally.

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Non- Polar Covalent bond

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the electrons are shared equally between two atoms

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dipole

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Any object (such as a magnet, polar molecule or antenna), that is oppositely charged at two points (or poles).

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Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

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involves breaking the triple bond of molecular nitrogen, or N2, followed by the formation of several carbon-nitrogen single and double bonds.

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octet rule

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A rule stating that atoms lose, gain, or share electrons in order to have a full valence shell of 8 electrons (has some exceptions).

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ionic bond

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A strong chemical bond caused by the electrostatic attraction between two oppositely charged ions.

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organic

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relating to the compounds of carbon, relating to natural products

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inorganic

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relating to a compound that does not contain carbon

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Van der waals

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are weak interactions between any two or more molecules and are dependent on slight fluctuations of the electron densities, which can lead to slight temporary dipoles around a molecule. For these attractions to happen, the molecules need to be very close to one another. These bonds, along with hydrogen bonds, help form the three-dimensional structures of the proteins in our cells that are required for their proper function.

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polymer

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A relatively large molecule consisting of a chain or network of many identical or similar monomers chemically bonded to each other.

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anion

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If there are more electrons than protons (from an element gaining one or more electrons), the ion is negatively charged ;are designated by their elemental name being altered to end in "-ide".

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cation

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If there are more protons than electrons (via loss of electrons), the ion is positively charged

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electrolytes

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any of the various ions (such as sodium or chloride) that regulate the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes

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carbon

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the primary component of macromolecules, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates.

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macromolecules

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a very large molecule, especially used in reference to large biological polymers (e.g., nucleic acids and proteins)

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lipid

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a substance that is insoluble in water and soluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform. Cholesterol and triglycerides are lipids.

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carbohydrate

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A sugar, starch, or cellulose that is a food source of energy for an animal or plant; a saccharide

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carbon cycle

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shows how carbon moves through the living and non-living parts of the environment.

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metabolism

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the complete set of chemical reactions that occur in living cells

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respiration

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the process by which cells obtain chemical energy by the consumption of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide; the process of inhaling and exhaling; breathing

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glucose

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a simple monosaccharide (sugar) with a molecular formula of C6H12O6; it is a principal source of energy for cellular metabolism

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monomer

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A relatively small molecule which can be covalently bonded to other monomers to form a polymer.