Biology Chapter 3 vocab
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29 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 RNA | a natural polymer that is present in all living cells and that plays a role in protein symbols. |
| organic compound | a covalently bonded compound that contains carbon, excluding carbonates and oxides. |
| carbohydrate | any organic compound that is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and that provides nutrients to the cells of living things. |
| monosaccharide | a simple sugar that is the basic subunit, or monomer, of a carbohydrate. |
| disaccharide | a sugar formed by two monosaccharides. |
| polysaccharide | one of the carbohydrates made up of long chains of simple sugars; polysaccharides include starch, cellulose, and glycogen. |
| protein | an organic compound that is made of one or more chains of amino acids and that is a principal component of all cells. |
| ATP (adenoside triphosphate) | an organic molecule that acts as the main energy source for cell processes; composed of a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and three phosphate groups. |
| hydrolysis | a chemical reaction between water and another substance to form two or more new substances; a reaction between water and a salt to create an acid or a base. |
| condensation reaction | a chemical reaction in which two or more molecules combine to produce water or another simple molecule. |
| macromolecule | a very large organic molecule, usually a polymer, composed of hundreds or thousands of atoms. |
| polymer | a large molecule that is formed by more than five monomers, or small units. |
| monomer | a simple molecule that can combine with other like or unlike molecules to make a polymer. |
| functional group | the portion of a molecule that is active in a chemical reaction and that determines the properties of many organic compounds. |
| amino acid | an organic molecule that contains a carboxyl and an amino group and that makes up proteins; a protein monomer. |
| peptide bond | the chemical bond that forms between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another amino acid. |
| polypeptide | a long chain of several amino acids. |
| enzyme | a type of protein or RNA molecule that speeds up metabolic reactions in plant and animals without being permanently changed or destroyed. |
| substrate | a part, substance, or element that lies beneath and supports another part, substance, or element; the reactant in reactions catalyzed by enzymes. |
| active site | the site on an enzyme that attaches to a substrate. |
| lipid | a large, nonpolar organic molecule, including fats and steroids; lipids store energy and make up cell membranes. |
| fatty acid | an organic acid that is contained in lipids, such as fats or oils. |
| triglyceride | a lipid made of three fatty acid molecules and one glycerol molecule. |
| phospholipid | a lipid that contains phosphorus and that is a structural component in cell membranes. |
| wax | a type of structural lipid consisting of a long fatty-acid chain that is joined to a long alcohol chain. |
| steriod | a type of lipid that consists of four carbon rings to which various functional groups are attached and that usually has a physiological action. |
| nucleic acid | an organic compound, either RNA or DNA, whose molecules are made up of one or two chains of nucleotides and carry genetic information. |
| DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) | the material that contains the information that determines inherited characteristics. |
| nucleotide | in a nucleic-acid chain, a subunit that consists of a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base. |
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