| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Active site | The specific portion of an enzyme that attaches to the substrate by means of weak chemical bonds |
| Amino group | 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. |
| Catabolic | Brfeaking down complex molecules to simpler compounds. |
| Chitin | A structural polysaccharide of an amino sugar found in many fungi and in the exoskeletons of all arthropods. |
| Cellulose | A structural polysaccharide of cell walls, consisting of glucose monomers joined by Beta-1, 4-glycosidic linkages |
| Coenzyme | An organic molecule serving as a cofactor. Most vitamins function as coenzymes in important metabolic reactions |
| Exergonic | chemical reaction that releases some form of energy, such as light or heat. |
| Endergonic | chemical reaction where free energy is absorbed from the surroundings. |
| Monosaccharide | 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 CH20. |
| Nucleotide | The building block of a nucleic acid, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous bas and a phosphate group. |
| Phosphate group | A functional goup important in energy transfer; consists of one phosphorous covalently bonded to 4 oxygens. |
| Phospholipids | A molecule that is a constituent of the inner bilayer of biological membranes, having a polar, hydrophilic head and a nonpolar, hydrophobic tail. |
| Phosphorylation | The transfer of a phosphate group to a molecule |
| Primary Structure | The level of protein structure referring to the specific sequence of amino acids. |
| Pyrimidine | a nitrogenous base that has a single-ring structure; one of the two general categories of nitrogenous bases found in DNA and RNA; thymine, cytosine, or uracil |
| Quaternary Structure | The paticular shape of a complex, aggregate protein, defined by the characteristc three-dimensional arrangement of its constituent subunits, each a polypeptide. |
| Saturated fatty acid | A fatty acid in which all carbons in the hydrocarbon tail are connected by single bonds, thus maximizing the number of hydrogen atoms that can attach to the carbon skeleton. |
| Secondary Structure | The localized, repetitive coiling or folding of the polypeptide backbone of a protein due to hydrogen bond formation between peptide linkages. |
| Substrate | The reactant on which an enzyme works. |
| Tertiary Structure | Irregular contortions of a protein molecule due to interactions of side chains involved in hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and disulfide bridges. |
| Competetive Inhibition | Where a substance reduces the activity of an enzyme by entering the active site in place of the substrate whose structure it mimics |
| Polymer | A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together. |
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