An organic

Alpha compound with

one or more
helix amino groups.

In an organic

Amine molecule a functional

group consisting of a
nitrogen atom bonded
to two hydrog atoms

Amino A synthetic variant

of the male hormone
testosterone that
acid mimics some of its
effects.

Member of the class of

Anabolic biological molecules consisting

of simple single monomer
sugars (monosaccharides) two
monomer sugars

steroid (disaccharides) and other

multiunit sugars
(polysaccharides).
 The chain of
carbon atoms that
Carbohydrate forms the structural
backbone of an
organic molecule.

In an organic molecule a
Carbon functional group
consisting of a carbon
atom linked by a double
skeleton bond to an oxygen
atom.

In an organic molecule a
Carbonyl functional group consisting
of an oxygen atom double
bonded to a carbon atom
group that is also bonded to a
hydroxyl group.

An organic
Carboxyl compound
containing a
group carboxyl group.
 A large polysaccharide
Carboxylic composed of many
glucose monomers linked
into cable like fibrils that
acid provide structural support
in plant cell walls

A structural
polysaccharide found in
Cellulose many fungal cell walls
and in the exoskeletons
of arthropods.

A steroid that is an
important component of

Chitin animal cell membranes

and that acts as a
precursor molecule for the
synthesis of other steroids
such as hormones.

A chemical process in
which two molecules
become covalently bonded
Cholesterol to each other with the
removal of a water
molecule. Also called
condensation.
 A process in which a protein
unravels losing its specific structure

Dehydration and hence function; can be caused

by changes in pH or salt
concentration or by high
reaction temperature. Also refers to the
separation of the two strands of the
DNA double helix caused by similar
factors.

A process in which a protein

unravels losing its specific structure
and hence function; can be caused
by changes in pH or salt
Denaturation concentration or by high
temperature. Also refers to the
separation of the two strands of the
DNA double helix caused by similar
factors.

A double stranded helical nucleic

acid molecule consisting of
nucleotide monomers with
Deoxyribonucleic deoxyribose sugar and the
nitrogenous bases adenine (A)
acid cytosine (C) guanine (G) and
thymine (T). Capable of replicating
is an organism's genetic material.
See also gene.

A sugar molecule
consisting of two
Disaccharide monosaccharides
linked by a
dehydration reaction.
Double The form of native DNA
referring to its two
adjacent polynucleotide

helix strands wound into a

spiral shape.

A protein (or RNA molecule)

that serves as a biological

Enzyme catalyst changing the rate of

a chemical reaction without
itself being changed into a
different molecule in the
process.

Fat
A large lipid molecule
made from an alcohol
called glycerol and three
fatty acids; a triglyceride.
Most fats function as
energy storage molecules.

An assemblage of atoms
Functional commonly attached to the
carbon skeletons of
organic molecules and
group usually involved in
chemical reactions.
 A discrete unit of hereditary
information consisting of a specific

Gene nucleotide sequence in DNA (or

RNA in some viruses). Most of the
genes of a eukaryote are located in
its chromosomal DNA; a few are
carried by the DNA of mitochondria
and chloroplasts.

An extensively branched
polysaccharide of many
glucose monomers; serves
Glycogen as an energy storage
molecule in liver and
muscle cells; the animal
equivalent of starch.

A chemical
compound
Hydrocarbon composed only of
the elements carbon
and hydrogen.

A chemical process in
which polymers are broken
down by the chemical
Hydrolysis addition of water
molecules to the bonds
linking their monomers; an
essential part of digestion.
 "Water loving";
pertaining to polar or
Hydrophilic charged molecules (or
parts of molecules) that
are soluble in water.

"Water fearing";
pertaining to nonpolar
Hydrophobic molecules (or parts of
molecules) that do not
dissolve in water.

Hydroxyl In an organic molecule a

functional group
consisting of a hydrogen
group atom bonded to an
oxygen atom.

Organic compounds
with the same
Isomer molecular formula
but different
structures and
 An organic compound
consisting mainly of carbon and

Lipid hydrogen atoms linked by

nonpolar convalent bonds
making the compound mostly
hydrophobic. Lipids include fats
phospholipids and steroids and
are insoluble in water.

A giant molecule in a
living organism formed
by the joining of smaller
Macromolecule molecules: a protein
carbohydrate or nucleic
acid.

Methyl In an organic
molecule a
carbon bonded to
group three hydrogens.

chemical subunit
that serves as a
Monomer building block of
a polymer.
 The simplest carbohydrate; a
simple sugar with a molecular
formula that is generally some
Monosaccharide multiple of CH2O.
Monosaccharides are the
building blocks of disaccharides
and polysaccharides.

A polymer consisting of many

Nucleic nucleotide monomers; serves

as a blueprint for proteins and
through the actions of proteins
for all cellular structures and

acid activities. The two types of

nucleic acids are DNA and
RNA.

An organic monomer
consisting of a five carbon
sugar covalently bonded to a
Nucleotide nitrogenous base and a
phosphate group. Nucleotides
are the building blocks of
nucleic acids.

A chemical compound
Organic containing the
element carbon and
compound usually synthesized
by cells.
Peptide The covalent linkage
between two amino acid
units in a polypeptide;

bond formed by a dehydration

reaction.

A functional group
Phosphate consisting of a
phosphorus atom
group covalently bonded to
four oxygen atoms.

A lipid made up of glycerol

joined to two fatty acids and a
phosphate group giving the
Phospholipid molecule a nonpolar
hydrophobic tail and a polar
hydrophilic head. Phospholipids
form bilayers that function as
biological membranes.

Pleated The folded

arrangement of a
polypeptide in a
sheet protein's secondary
structure.
 A large molecule
consisting of many

Polymer identical or similar

molecular units called
monomers covalently
joined together in a chain.

A polymer
(chain) of amino
Polypeptide acids linked by
peptide bonds.

A carbohydrate polymer
consisting of hundreds
to thousands of
Polysaccharide monosaccharides
(sugars) linked by
dehydration synthesis.

Primary The first level of protein

structure; the specific
sequence of amino
structure acids making up a
polypeptide chain.
 A functional biological
molecule consisting of

Protein one or more

polypeptides folded into
a specific three
dimensional structure.

The fourth level of

Quaternary protein structure; the
shape resulting from the
association of two or
structure more polypeptide
subunits.

A type of nucleic acid consisting of

nucleotide monomers with a ribose
Ribonucleic sugar and the nitrogenous bases
adenine (A) cytosine (C) guanine
(G) and uracil (U); usually single
acid stranded; functions in protein
synthesis and as the genome of
some viruses.

Pertaining to fats and fatty

acids whose hydrocarbon
chains contain the maximum

Saturated number of hydrogens and

therefore have no double
covalent bonds. Saturated fats
and fatty acids solidify at room
temperature.
 The second level of
Secondary protein structure; the
regular local patterns
structure of coils or folds of a
polypeptide chain.

A storage

Starch polysaccharide found in

the roots of plants and
certain other cells; a
polymer of glucose.

A type of lipid whose

carbon skeleton is in the

Steroid form of four fused rings

with various chemical
groups attached;
examples are cholesterol
testosterone and estrogen.

The third level of protein

Tertiary structure; the overall three

dimensional shape of a
polypeptide due to

structure interactions of the R

groups of the amino acids
making up the chain.
 Pertaining to fats and fatty acids
whose hydrocarbon chains lack the
maximum number of hydrogen
Unsaturated atoms and therefore have one or
more double covalent bonds.
Unsaturated fats and fatty acids do
not solidify at room temperature.