| A | B |
|---|
| adhesion | The intermolecular attraction between unlike molecules. Capillary action results from the adhesive properties of water and the molecules that make up plant cells. |
| atom | The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical and physical properties of that element. |
| Biological macromolecules | A group of biomacromolecules that interact with biological systems and their environments. |
| Carbohydrate | A macromolecule that contains atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio and serves as a major source of energy for living organisms (e.g., sugars, starches, and cellulose). |
| Catalyst | A substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (e.g., lower temperature) than otherwise possible without being changed by the reaction. |
| Cohesion | The intermolecular attraction between like molecules. Surface tension results from the cohesive properties of water. |
| Concentration | The measure of the amount or proportion of a given substance when combined with another substance. |
| Enzyme | A protein that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being changed by the reaction; an organic catalyst. |
| Freezing Point | The temperature at which a liquid changes state to a solid. |
| Lipids | A group of organic compounds composed mostly of carbon and hydrogen including a proportionately smaller amount of oxygen; are insoluble in water, serve as a source of stored energy, and are a component of cell membranes. |
| Macromolecules | A polymer with a high molecular mass. Within organisms there are four main groups: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. |
| Molecules | The smallest particle of a substance that retains the chemical and physical properties of the substance and is composed of two or more atoms held together by chemical forces. |
| Monomer | A molecule of any compound that can react with other molecules of the same or different compound to form a polymer. Each biological macromolecule has characteristic monomers. |
| Nucleic acid | A biological macromolecule (DNA or RNA) composed of the elements C, H, N, O, and P that carries genetic information. |
| Organic molecule | A molecule containing carbon that is part of or produced by living systems. |
| pH | The measure of acidity or alkalinity (basicity) of an aqueous solution scaling from 1 (highly acidic) to 14 (highly alkaline) with a midpoint of 7 (neutral). |
| protein | A macromolecule that contains the principal components of organisms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen; performs a variety of structural and regulatory functions for cells. |
| specific heat | The measure of the heat energy required to increase the temperature of a unit quantity of a substance by a certain temperature interval. |
| temperature | a measure of the average kinetic energy (energy of motion) of particles in a sample of matter. This physical property can determine the rate and extent to which chemical reactions can occur within living systems. It is commonly measured in degrees Celsius (ºC) or Fahrenheit (ºF). |
