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The Chemistry of Life

Science

The Chemistry of Life Chapter Video

The Chemistry of Life Chapter Video

acid

forms hydrogen ions when dissolved in water
acid Simple Definition

activation energy

the minimum energy needed to start a chemical reaction
activation energy Simple Definition

adhesion

the force of attraction between molecules of different substances
adhesion Simple Definition

amino acid

a compound that is the building block of proteins
amino acid Simple Definition

atom

the smallest particle of an element
atom Simple Definition

base

forms hydroxide ions when dissolved in water
base Simple Definition

buffer

a solution that reacts with acids and bases to prevent sudden pH changes
buffer Simple Definition

carbohydrate

an energy-rich organic molecule of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, like sugar or starches
carbohydrate Simple Definition

catalyst

a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction by reducing the activation energy
catalyst Simple Definition

chemical reaction

the process where substances change into different substances through the breaking of chemical bonds
chemical reaction Simple Definition

cohesion

the attraction between molecules of the same substance
cohesion Simple Definition

compound

the substance made when atoms from two or more elements combine chemically
compound Simple Definition

covalent bond

a chemical bond formed when atoms share electrons
covalent bond Simple Definition

electron

a negatively charged particle outside the nucleus of an atom
electron Simple Definition

element

a substance made of one type of atom that cannot be broken down chemically
element Simple Definition

enzyme

a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in cells
enzyme Simple Definition

hydrogen bond

a weak bond of attraction between a hydrogen atom and another atom
hydrogen bond Simple Definition

ion

an atom that is charged because it gained or lost an electron
ion Simple Definition

ionic bond

the attraction between oppositely charged ions
ionic bond Simple Definition

lipid

an energy-rich organic compound such as a fat or oil
lipid Simple Definition

mixture

a combination of substances that keep their individual properties
mixture Simple Definition

molecule

a group of atoms held together by bonds
molecule Simple Definition

monomer

a small molecule that makes up a polymer chain
monomer Simple Definition

nucleic acid

a molecule made of nucelotides that contain genetic material, like DNA and RNA
nucleic acid Simple Definition

nucleotide

a nucleic acid sub unit that consists of a sugar, phosphate, and a nitrogenous base
nucleotide Simple Definition

nucleus atom

the center of an atom
nucleus atom Simple Definition

pH

the scale of how basic or acidic a solution is based on hydrogen ion concentration
pH Simple Definition

polymer

a large molecule formed from a chain of small monomers
polymer Simple Definition

product

a new substance formed by a chemical reaction
product Simple Definition

protein

an organic compound that is made of amino acids
protein Simple Definition

reactant

a substance that is changed in a chemical reaction
reactant Simple Definition

solute

the substance that is dissolved to form a solution
solute Simple Definition

solution

a mixture of evenly distributed substances
solution Simple Definition

solvent

the substance in which another substance is dissolved
solvent Simple Definition

substrate

a reactant to which an enzyme binds
substrate Simple Definition

Van der Waals force

the weak attraction between oppositely charged regions of nearby molecules
Van der Waals force Simple Definition

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