Chapter 2 Key Terms

A class of organic compounds that serve as the building blocks for the information storage molecules DNA and RNA.

• Nucleotides
• Amino Acids
• Lipids
• Carbohydrates

A naturally occurring catalyst, usually a protein.

• Enzyme
• Lipid
• Carbohydrate
• Nucleic Acid

Quality of molecules having an uneven distribution of electrical charge, resulting in some regions of a molecule having negative charge while others are positive.

• Inhibitor

• Enzyme

• Base

• Polar

An attraction between two atoms as a result of sharing or transferring valence electrons.

• Diffusion

• Physical Change

• Bond

• Chemical Change

The process by which one substance, the solute, is broken up into smaller pieces by and distributed within a second substance, the solvent.

• Base

• Dissolving

• Bond

• Compound

A substance that can produce hydrogen ions (H+) in solution.

• Base
• Salt
• Sugar
• Acid

A substance that can produce hydroxide ions (OH) or accept hydrogen ions (H+) in solution.

• Acid
• Base
• Salt
• Sugar

The physical stuff that makes up the universe.  Anything that occupies space and has mass.

• Energy
• Element

• Matter
• Temperature

The building block of matter; the smallest possible particle of an element.

• Atom
• Molecule
• Compound
• Electron

The tendency of energy to disperse and become less available to do work.

• Entropy
• Physical Change

• Chemical Change

• Energy