Characteristics of Life
This double-helix molecule carries the genetic code found in every cell and determines an organism's traits.
What is DNA?
This liquid is known as the "universal solvent" because it can dissolve more substances than any other liquid.
What is water?
This term describes anything that has mass and takes up physical space.
What is matter?
Just like a single brick builds a brick wall, this single, basic subunit links together to form a larger polymer.
What is a monomer?
Carbohydrates are the very first macromolecule your body breaks down because their main job is providing this type of quick storage.
What is short-term energy?
Biology is defined as the scientific study of this.
What is life (or living things)?
Because "hydro" means water and "phobic" means fearing, this type of substance, like oil, does NOT dissolve in water.
What is a hydrophobic substance?
Known as the basic building block of all living things, this is the smallest unit of life.
What is a cell?
Monosaccharides are single sugar rings that serve as the monomers for this macromolecule group.
What are carbohydrates?
Lipids are broken down after carbohydrates run out because they are used for this type of energy storage.
What is long-term energy?
Humans are multicellular because they have trillions of cells, while bacteria are made of only one cell, making them this.
What is unicellular?
Water sticking to other water molecules is called cohesion, but water sticking to different substances (like plant tissue or glass) is called this.
What is adhesion?
In a cup of sweet tea, the tea leaves and sugar are dissolved, making them this component of a solution.
What is a solute?
Amino acids are connected by peptide bonds to form a polypeptide chain, which is the polymer of this macromolecule.
What is a protein?
DNA and RNA belong to this macromolecule group, which stores and transmits your genetic instructions.
What are nucleic acids?
Sweating to cool down in hot weather and shivering to warm up in the cold are examples of your body maintaining this balanced internal state.
What is homeostasis?
Water is called a polar molecule because its electrical charges are spread out like this.
What is unequally (or: one side is positive and one side is negative)?
This property of water acts like a thin, stretchy "skin" on top of the liquid, allowing small insects to walk on water.
What is surface tension?
These special lipid molecules have a water-loving head and two water-fearing fatty acid tails that form cell membranes.
What are phospholipids?
From speeding up chemical reactions as enzymes to making up bone and muscle, these macromolecules are the workhorses that run your body.
What are proteins?
Clue: A plant growing toward sunlight is an example of a living organism responding to an external one of these.
What is a stimulus?
Solid water (ice) floats on top of liquid water because ice is less of this property than liquid water.
What is dense (or density)?
Sugar is called hydrophilic because it loves water and easily dissolves, while oil is called hydrophobic because it does this when mixed with water.
What is repels water (or does not dissolve / fears water)?
Every nucleotide monomer in DNA and RNA is made of three distinct parts: a 5-carbon sugar, a nitrogen base, and this group.
What is a phosphate group?
Nucleic acids provide 0 calories per gram because they are NEVER used by the body as a source for this.
What is energy?