General Biology: Basic Chemistry Concepts

An anion is a negatively charged ion formed by the gain of electrons.

An ionic bond is a chemical bond formed by the attraction between oppositely charged ions.

A covalent bond is a chemical bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.

A polar covalent bond occurs when electrons are shared unequally between atoms, causing partial charges.

A nonpolar covalent bond occurs when electrons are shared equally between atoms.

A molecule is two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.

A compound is a substance made of two or more different elements chemically combined in a fixed ratio.

The atomic number is the number of protons in an atom's nucleus and defines the element + it's properties.

The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

An isotope is an atom of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom involved in chemical bonding.

An electron shell is a level of electrons surrounding the nucleus of an atom.

Octet means to gain stability; atoms lose or gain electrons to have eight electrons in their valence shell.

A hydrogen bond is a weak attraction between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom in another molecule.

Regions of a molecule that have high concentration of electrical charges, positive(+) or negative(-).

Molecules whose atoms only require 2 electrons

Structure = Functions at molecular and organismal level

Evolution

Flow of information(DNA+heredity)

Energy flows, matter cycles (life depends on this)

Life = Systems/Interactions inside and between

Observation

Question

Hypothesis

Prediction

Experiment/Data collection

Conclusion/claim

Order

Response to Environment

Regulation

Energy Processing

Adaptation

Reproduction + Growth

New properties that arise wth each new generation, from the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases.

All parts of an organism have a specific function that works because of it's structure.

Valence Shells are the outermost shells of an atom.

Cores are the inner ones.

Discrete volumes of space where electrons are most likely to be found.

Measure of an atom's attraction for shared electrons.

A molecule with polar covalent bonds and has unequal distribution of charges in different regions of the molecule.

The making and breaking of chemical bonds, leading to changes in the composition of matter. (Reactant + Reactant --> Product)

Cohesion is the tendency of molecules of the same kind to stick together

Adhesion is the clinging of one substance to another.

Ex: Bc of cohesion and adhesion, sweat 'beads' cling to your face.

A measure of how difficult it is to streatch of break the surface of a liquid.

Total kinetic energy due to random motion of atoms/molecules in a substance.

The process in which the surface of an object cools during evaporation; result of molecule with the highest energy changing from liquid to gas.

A solution is a liquid consisting of a uniform mixture of 3 or more substances. An Aqueous solution is one where water is the solvent.

The solvent is the dissolving agent, or the substance that is dissolving another. The solute is the substance being dissolved.

Acids are substances that donate H+ to a solution.

Bases are substances that reduce the H+ concentration of a substance.

A measure of the acidity of a solution, ranging in value from 0(most acidic) to 14(most basic). The letters pH stand for potential hydrogen and refer to the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+).

A chemical substance that minimizes changes in pH by accepting(taking) hydrogen ions from or donating hydrogen ions to solutions.