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Small Molecules definitions

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  • Water
    Universal solvent making up about 70% of cell weight, with unique polarity and cohesion crucial for cellular processes.
  • Hydrophilic Molecule
    Substance that dissolves readily in water due to its affinity for the polar nature of water molecules.
  • Hydrophobic Molecule
    Substance that does not dissolve in water, repelled by water's polarity and often found in nonpolar regions.
  • Polarity
    Uneven distribution of electrical charge within a molecule, leading to partial positive and negative regions.
  • Cohesion
    Attraction between like molecules, especially water, resulting from polarity and enabling unique properties.
  • Specific Heat
    Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius; high in water.
  • Carbon
    Element capable of forming four stable covalent bonds, serving as a backbone for diverse biological molecules.
  • Covalent Bond
    Strong, stable chemical linkage formed by sharing electron pairs between atoms, common in organic molecules.
  • Bond Energy
    Measurement of the energy needed to break a chemical bond, indicating the bond's stability and strength.
  • Stereoisomer
    Molecule with the same chemical formula as another but differing in spatial arrangement, often as mirror images.
  • Asymmetric Carbon Atom
    Central atom bonded to four different groups, resulting in non-superimposable mirror image configurations.
  • Functional Group
    Specific cluster of atoms attached to carbon skeletons, imparting distinct chemical properties to molecules.
  • Chiral Center
    Atom, typically carbon, with four different substituents, leading to molecules with handedness or chirality.