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Honors Biology 1
Chapter 3 Vocabulary: Biochemistry
Section 1
 organic compound: a covalently bonded compound that contains carbon, excluding
carbonates and oxides
 functional group: the portion of a molecule that is active in a chemical reaction and that
determines the properties of many organic compounds
 monomer: a simple molecule that can combine with other like or unlike molecules to
make a polymer
 polymer: a large molecule that is formed by more than five monomers, or small units
 macromolecule: a very large organic molecule, usually a polymer, composed of
hundreds or thousands of atoms
 condensation reaction: a chemical reaction in which two or more molecules combine to
produce water or another simple molecule
 hydrolysis: a chemical reaction between water and another substance to form two or
more new substances; a reaction between water and a salt to create an acid or base
 adenosine triphosphate (ATP): an organic molecule that acts as the main energy source
for cell processes; composed of a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and three phosphate groups
Section 2
 carbohydrate: any organic compound that is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and
that provides nutrients to the cells of living things
 monosaccharide: a simple sugar that is the basic subunit, or monomer, of a carbohydrate
 disaccharide: a sugar formed from two monosaccharides
 polysaccharide: one of the carbohydrates made up of long chains of simple sugars;
polysaccharides include starch, cellulose, and glycogen
 protein: an organic compound that is made of one or more chains of amino acids and that
is a principal component of all cells
 amino acid: an organic molecule that contains a carboxyl and an amino group and that
makes up proteins; a protein monomer
 peptide bond: the chemical bond that forms between the carboxyl group of one amino
acid and the amino group of another amino acid
 polypeptide: a long chain of several amino acids
 enzyme: a type of protein or RNA molecule that speeds up metabolic reactions in plant
and animals without being permanently changed or destroyed
 substrate: a part, substance, or element that lies beneath and supports another part,
substance, or element; the reactant in reactions catalyzed by enzymes
 active site: the site on an enzyme that attaches to a substrate
 lipid: a large, nonpolar organic molecule, including fats and steroids; lipids store energy
and make up cell membranes
 fatty acid: an organic acid that is contained in lipids, such as fats or oils
 triglyceride: a lipid made of three fatty acid molecules and one glycerol molecule
 phospholipid: a lipid that contains phosphorus and that is a structural component in cell
membranes
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wax: a type of structural lipid consisting of a long fatty-acid chain that is joined to a long
alcohol chain
steroid: a type of lipid that consists of four carbon rings to which various functional
groups are attached and that usually has a physiological action
nucleic acid: an organic compound, either RNA or DNA, whose molecules are made up
of one or two chains of nucleotides and carry genetic information
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): the material that contains the information that determines
inherited characteristics
ribonucleic acid (RNA): a natural polymer that is present in all living cells and that plays
a role in protein synthesis
nucleotide: in a nucleic-acid chain, a subunit that consists of a sugar, a phosphate, and a
nitrogenous base