What are nucleic acids made up of?
Nucleotides that consist of a phosphate, carbon sugar, and nitrogen base
What do nucleotides make up within the cell?
DNA and RNA
What is the pH scale range?
From 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic)
What is the typical pH range within a given cell or region of the body?
7.2-7.4
What pH is required in the stomach for digestive function?
1.6
What does pH measure?
Relative hydrogen (H+) concentration compared to hydroxide (OH–) concentration in a solution
What are the two types of chemical reactions involving water?
Dehydration synthesis and Hydrolysis
What do chemical equations show?
How reactants interact to form products, with arrows separating them
What are the four major organic compounds in the body?
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Nucleic Acids
What are carbohydrates made of?
Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
What are the three types of carbohydrates?
- Monosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Polysaccharides
What are lipids?
Fats and oils
What forms triglycerides?
A glycerol unit joined to three fatty acids
What is the function of triglycerides?
Store energy for later use
What is the structure of phospholipids?
- Nonpolar fatty acid tails
- Polar phosphate group
What is cholesterol’s role in the body?
Serves as the basic structure for steroid hormones
What are proteins made up of?
Amino acids held together in long, folded chains by peptide bonds
What are the two functions of proteins?
- Structural
- Functional (e.g., enzymes)
What is ATP?
Adenosine triphosphate, an energy nucleotide with added phosphates
What distinguishes organic molecules from inorganic molecules?
Organic molecules contain carbon-carbon and/or carbon-hydrogen covalent bonds; inorganic do not
What do hydrogen bonds do?
Do not create new molecules; they are weak bonds to neighboring molecules
What is the smallest unit of matter?
Atom
What is the nucleus of an atom?
The central core of the atom
What is an atomic number?
The number of protons in the nucleus
