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Structural isomer:
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One of several organic compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms.
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Cellulose
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A structural polysaccharide of cell walls, consisting of glucose monomers joined by β-1, 4-glycosidic linkages.
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unsaturated fatty acid-
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A fatty acid possessing one or more double bonds between the carbons in the hydrocarbon tail. Such bonding reduces the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon skeleton.
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deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-
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A double-stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule capable of replicating and determining the inherited structure of a cell's proteins.
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saturated fatty acid-
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A fatty acid in which all carbons in the hydrocarbon tail are connected by single bonds, thus maximizing the number of hydrogen atoms that can attach to the carbon skeleton.
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tertiary structure-
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- Irregular contortions of a protein molecule due to interactions of side chains involved in hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and disulfide bridges.
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Organic chemistry
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The study of carbon compounds (organic compounds).
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Hydroxyl group:
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hydrogen is bonded to an oxygen atom
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polymer
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long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together.
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beta (?) pleated sheet
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- One form of the secondary structure of proteins in which the polypeptide chain folds back and forth. Two regions of the chain lie parallel to each other and are held together by hydrogen bonds.
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Deoxyribose-
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The sugar component of DNA, having one less hydroxyl group than ribose, the sugar component of RNA.
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Hydrocarbons
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An organic molecule consisting only of carbon and hydrogen.
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Sulfhydryl group:
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sulfur bonded to hydrogen
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triacylglycerol-
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Three fatty acids linked to one glycerol molecule.
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Geometric isomer:
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One of several organic compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the spatial arrangements of their atoms.
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steroid-
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A type of lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four rings with various functional groups attached.
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starch-
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A storage polysaccharide in plants consisting entirely of glucose.
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alpha (?) helix
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- A spiral shape constituting one form of the secondary structure of proteins, arising from a specific hydrogen-bonding structure.
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purine-
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One of two types of nitrogenous bases found in nucleotides. Adenine (A) and guanine (G) are purines.
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ribonucleic acid (RNA)-
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A type of nucleic acid consisting of nucleotide monomers with a ribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U); usually single-stranded; functions in protein synthesis and as the genome of some viruses.
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.X-ray crystallography
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A technique that depends on the diffraction of an X-ray beam by the individual atoms of a molecule to study the three-dimensional structure of the molecule.
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Adenosine triphosphate (ATP
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primary energy transferring molecule. Consists of an adenosine and 3 phosphate groups.
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protein
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A three-dimensional biological polymer constructed from a set of 20 different monomers called amino acids
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Amino group:
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nitrogen bonded to two hydrogen atoms and to the carbon skeleton
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Chaperonin
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protein molecule that assists the proper folding of other proteins.
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disulfide bridge
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A strong covalent bond formed when the sulfur of one cysteine monomer bonds to the sulfur of another cysteine monomer.
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quaternary structure- T
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The particular shape of a complex, aggregate protein, defined by the characteristic three-dimensional arrangement of its constituent subunits, each a polypeptide.
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condensation reaction
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A reaction in which two molecules become covalently bonded to each other through the loss of a small molecule, usually water; also called a dehydration reaction.
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Disaccharide-
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A double sugar, consisting of two monosaccharides joined by dehydration synthesis
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macromolecule
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giant molecule formed by the joining of smaller molecules, usually by a condensation reaction. Polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids are macromolecules.
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nucleotide
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- Ahe building block of a nucleic acid, consisting of a five-carbon sugar covalently bonded to a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group.
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Denaturation
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In proteins, a process in which a protein unravels and loses its native conformation, thereby becoming biologically inactive. In DNA, the separation of the two strands of the double helix. Denaturation occurs under extreme conditions of pH, salt concentration, and temperature.
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monomer-
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subunit that serves as the building block of a polymer.
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polynucleotide
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A polymer consisting of many nucleotide monomers; serves as a blueprint for proteins and, through the actions of proteins, for all cellular activities. The two types are DNA and RNA.
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hydrolysis
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A chemical process that lyses, or splits, molecules by the addition of water.
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Gene-
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A discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA, in some viruses).
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Cholesterol
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A steroid that forms an essential component of animal cell membranes and acts as a precursor molecule for the synthesis of other biologically important steroids.
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secondary structure-
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The localized, repetitive coiling or folding of the polypeptide backbone of a protein due to hydrogen bond formation between peptide linkages.
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peptide bond-
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The covalent bond between two amino acid units, formed by a dehydration reaction..
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hydrophobic interaction-
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A type of weak chemical bond formed when molecules that do not mix with water coalesce to exclude the water.
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fatty acid
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A long carbon chain carboxylic acid. Fatty acids vary in length and in the number and location of double bonds; three fatty acids linked to a glycerol molecule form fat.
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phospholipid-
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molecule that is a constituent of the inner bilayer of biological membranes, having a polar, hydrophilic head and a nonpolar, hydrophobic tail.
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Isomers
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One of several organic compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures and therefore different properties. The three types of isomers are structural isomers, geometric isomers, and enantiomers.
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Carboxyl group:
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Oxygen that is double bonded to a carbon which is bonded to a hydroxyl group
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Enantiomers
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One of two molecules that are mirror images of each other
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ribose-
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The sugar component of RNA.
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primary structure-
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level of protein structure referring to the specific sequence of amino acids.
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double helix-
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- The form of native DNA, referring to its two adjacent polynucleotide strands wound into a spiral shape.
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dehydration reaction
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A chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a water molecule.
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Carbohydrate
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A sugar (monosaccharide) or one of its dimers (disaccharides) or polymers (polysaccharides).
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Chitin
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A structural polysaccharide of an amino sugar found in many fungi and in the exoskeletons of all arthropods.
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glycosidic linkage-
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A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction.
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monosaccharide
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The simplest carbohydrate, active alone or serving as a monomer for disaccharides and polysaccharides. Also known as simple sugars, the molecular formulas of monosaccharides are generally some multiple of CH2O.
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Carbonyl group
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carbon bonded to oxygen by a double bond
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lipid-
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a family of compounds, including fats, phospholipids, and steroids, that are insoluble in water
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Functional groups:
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specific configuration of atoms commonly attached to the carbon skeletons of organic molecules and usually involved in chemical reactions.
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amino acid
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An organic molecule possessing both carboxyl and amino groups. Amino acids serve as the monomers of proteins
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Phosphate group:
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phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms one is bonded to carbon skeleton
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fat (triacylglycerol
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A biological compound consisting of three fatty acids linked to one glycerol molecule.
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pyrimidine
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One of two types of nitrogenous bases found in nucleotides. Cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U) are pyrimidines.
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Antiparallel
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The opposite arrangement of the sugar-phosphate backbones in a DNA double helix.
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Glycogen-
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An extensively branched glucose storage polysaccharide found in the liver and muscle of animals; the animal equivalent of starch.
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nucleic acid
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A polymer (polynucleotide) consisting of many nucleotide monomers; serves as a blueprint for proteins and, through the actions of proteins, for all cellular activities. The two types are DNA and RNA.
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Catalyst-
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A chemical agent that changes the rate of a reaction without being consumed by the reaction.
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polysaccharide
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- A polymer of up to over a thousand monosaccharides, formed by dehydration reactions.
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polypeptide
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A polymer (chain) of many amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.
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