BIOCHEMISTRY DICTIONARY

1. Acetal - an organic compound formed by the condensation of two alcohol molecules with an
aldehyde molecule.
2. Achiral objects - can be superimposed on the mirror images for example, drinking glasses,
spheres, and cubes.
3. Active transport process – type of cell membrane transport uses energy (ATP) provided by
the cell.
4. Adrenocorticoid hormones - are produced in the adrenal glands located on the top of the
kidney. Glucocorticoids such as cortisol affect the metabolism of carbohydrates.
5. Adrenocorticotropic hormone – In pituitary origin.
6. Amine - organic compounds that contain nitrogen atoms with a lone pair.
7. Amino acids - are classified by the polarity of the R group side chains.
8. Anaphase – Chromatids separate at the centromere and migrate to opposite poles.
9. Angiotensin II – In Blood plasma origin.
10. Anomeric carbon - carbon derived from the carbonyl carbon the ketone or aldehyde
functional group of the open-chain form of the carbohydrate molecule and is a stereocenter.
11. Arachidic acid – common sources of Peanut oil
12. Arachidonic acid – common sources of Corn oil, linseed oil, animal tissues.
13. Bile salts - Bile is a yellowish brown or green fluid produced in the liver and stored in the gall
bladder.
14. Biological membrane - When the membrane is broken, the repulsion between the nonpolar
portion and water causes the membrane to re-form.
15. B-pleated sheet - structure is less common than the a-helix; it is found extensively only in the
protein of silk.
16. Carbohydrates - are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones, or substances that yield such
compounds on hydrolysis.
17. Catalytic function - Nearly all reactions in living organisms are catalyzed by proteins
functioning as enzymes.
18. Cell – basic structural and functional unit of living organisms.
19. Cell division – Cell arises from the division of the other cells.
20. Cell membrane - contain unsaturated fatty acid chains that increase the flexibility or fluidity
of the membrane.
21. Cellulose - a polysaccharide composed of a linear chain of β-1;4 linked d-glucose units with a
degree of polymerization ranged from several hundreds to over ten thousand.
22. Cephalins - Phosphoglycerides that contains the amino alcohols ethanolamine or serine.
23. Chiral – molecules which are enantiomers of each other have the same physical properties.
24. Cholesterol - the most abundant steroid in the body.
25. Complex lipids - contain more than two components fatty acids, an alcohol, and other
components.
26. Conjugated proteins - also contain other organic or inorganic components, called prosthetic
groups.
27. C-terminal residue - The residue with a free carboxylate group.
28. Cysteine - the only amino acid that contains a sulfhydryl.
29. Cytoplasm – It is responsible for various cellular proceses.
30. Cytoskeleton – Maintains integral structural support and organization of cells.
31. Cytosol – provides support for organelles and serves as the viscous fluid medium.
32. Dextrorotatory - substance rotates polarized light to the right.
33. Diffusion – is the movement of a substance from an area of its higher concentration to an
area of its lower concentration.
34. Disaccharides – Consist of two monosaccharides units linked together by a covalent bond.
35. Disulfide bridges - can form between two cysteine residues that are close to each other in
the same chain, or between cysteine residues in different chains.
36. Docosahexaenoic acid – common sources of fish oil, seafoods.
37. Eicosatetraenoic acid – common sources of fish oil, seafoods.
38. Endocytosis – Refers to the bulk movement of substance into the cells by vesicles forming at
the plasma membrane.
39. Enzymes - proteins that act as biochemical catalysts.
40. Eukaryotic cell – have a membrane-bound nucleus and a few other membrane-bound
subcellular organelles.
41. Exocytosis – Refers to bulk movement of substance out of the cell by fusion of secretory
vesicles with the plasma membranes.
42. Facilitated diffusion – Is the type of diffusion that requires a protein carrier.
43. Fats - are triglycerides that are solids at room temp.
44. Fatty acids - The long, nonpolar hydrocarbon tails of fatty acids are responsible for most of
the fatty or oily characteristics of lipids.
45. Fibrous proteins - are made up of long rod-shaped or stringlike molecules that can intertwine
with one another and form strong fibers.
46. Fischer projections - a convenient way to represent mirror images in two dimensions.
47. Fluid mosaic model - membrane structure proposes that lipids of the bilayer are in constant
motion, gliding from one part of their bilayer to another at high speed.
48. Follicle-stimulating hormone – In pituitary origin.
49. Fructose – Monosaccharide type of sugar, also known as fruit sugar.
50. Furanose ring - a cyclic hemiacetal of an aldopentose or a cyclic hemiketal of a ketohexose.
51. Galactose - monosaccharides type of sugar, also known as brain sugar.
52. Gallstone - can block the duct that allows bile to be secreted into the duodenum.
53. Gastrin – In Stomach origin.
54. Globular proteins - are somewhat water-soluble, unlike the fibrous or membrane proteins.
55. Glucagon – In Pancreas origin.
56. Glucose – Monosaccharide type of sugar, also known as blood sugar.
57. Glyceraldehyde – the simplest carbohydrate, a chiral molecule it cannot be superimposed on
its mirror image.
58. Glycogen – also known as animal starch.
59. Glycolipids - are sphingolipids that contain carbohydrates usually monosaccharides. They are
also referred to as cerebrosides because of their abundance in brain tissue.
60. Glycoproteins - carbohydrates (gamma globulin in blood, mucin in saliva)
61. Glycoside - a compound formed from a simple sugar and another compound by replacement
of a hydroxyl group in the sugar molecule. Many drugs and poisons derived from plants are
glycosides.
62. Golgi apparatus – Modifies, packages, and sorts of materials, that arrive from the
endoplasmic reticulum in transport vehicles.
63. Heat denaturation - used to prepare vaccines against some diseases. The denatured toxin
can no longer cause the disease,
64. helix - is held in this shape by hydrogen bonding interactions between amide groups, with
the side chains extending outward from the coil.
65. Hemiacetal - an alcohol and ether attached to the same carbon.
66. Hemoglobin – a molecule in a person suffering from sickle cell anemia has a one-amino acid
difference in the sixth position of the two b-chains of normal HbA.
67. Hemoproteins - heme (hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochromes)
68. Human growth hormone – In pituitary origin.
69. Hydrogen bond - can form between a variety of side chains, especially those that contain:
Hydrogen bonding also influences the secondary structure, but here the hydrogen bonding is
between R groups, while in secondary structures it is between the C=O and NH portions of
the backbone.
70. Hydrogeneration - used to convert unsaturated vegetable oils, which are liquids at room
temp., to saturated fats, which are solids at room temp.
71. Hydrophobic interactions - the attraction of nonpolar groups, or when they are forced
together by their mutual repulsion of the aqueous solvent.
72. Insulin - a hormone produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans,
which regulates the amount of glucose in the blood.
73. Insulin – In Pancreas origin.
74. Intermediate filaments – Give mechanical support to structures like nucleus and plasma
membrane.
75. Interphase – It is the longer phase of the cell cycle where the cell is active and preparing for
cell division.
76. Invert sugar – Mixture of glucose and fructose sugar,
77. Lactose – Disaccharide type of sugar, also known as milk sugar.
78. Lecithin - Phosphoglycerides that contains the amino alcohol choline.
79. Levorotatory - substance rotates polarized light to the left.
80. Linoleic acid – common sources of Cottonseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, linseed oil.
81. Linolenic acid – common sources of linseed oil, corn oil.
82. Lipase - enzymes that catalyzes the hydrolysis of fats.
83. Lipids - are biological molecules that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar solvents.
84. Lipoproteins - lipids (fibrin in blood, serum lipoproteins)
85. Lysosomes – Digest microbes or materials by the cell.
86. Maltose – Disaccharide type of sugar, also known as malt sugar.
87. Metalloproteins - iron (ferritin, hemoglobin) or zinc (alcohol dehydrogenase)
88. Metaphase – Chromosomes align at the center of the cell.
89. Micelles - In aqueous solutions, fatty acids associate with each other in spherical clusters.
90. Microfilaments – Maintain cell shape.
91. Microtubules – Provides structural support.
92. Mitochondria – It is responsible for the production of energy in the form of ATP.
93. Mitosis - a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same
number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth.
94. Monosaccharides – A single polyhydroxy aldehyde or ketone unit
95. Monounsaturated - fat molecules that have one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule.
96. Movement function - The proteins actin and myosin are important in muscle activity,
regulating the contraction of muscle fibers.
97. Myristic acid – common sources of butterfat, coconut oil, nutmeg oil.
98. Nerve impulse transmission - Some proteins act as receptors for small molecules that
transmit impulses across the synapses that separate nerve cells.
99. Non saponifiable lipids - do not contain ester groups and cannot be saponified.
100. N-terminal residue - The residue with a free amino group.
101. Nucleolus – It consist of RNA and proteins which functions in ribosomal unit assembly.
102. Nucleoplasm – It sorrunds the chromatin and the nucleoli.
103. Nucleoproteins - nucleic acids (viruses).
104. Nucleus – It is enclosed within a double membrane called nuclear envelope.
105. Oil - are triglycerides that are liquids at room temp.
106. Oleic acid – common sources of Lard, beef fat, olive oil, peanut oil.
107. Oligosaccharides – Contain from 3 to 10 monosaccharides units.
108. Organelles – membrane-bound structures which carry out specific metabolic activities of the
cell.
109. Osmosis – Is the diffusion of water point across a selectively permeable membrane.
110. Oxytocin - causes the smooth muscles of the uterus to contract and is administered to induce
labor.
111. Oxytocin – In pituitary origin.
112. Palmitic acid – common sources of Lard, beef fat, butterfat, Cottonseed oil.
113. Palmitoleic acid – common sources of Cod liver oil, Butterfat.
114. Peptides - Short chains are referred to as peptides, chains of up to about 50 amino acids are
polypeptides, and chains of more than 50 amino acids are proteins.
115. Peroxisomes – Detoxify specific harmful substances either produced by the cell or taken into
the cell.
116. Phosphate esters - can form at the 6-carbon of aldohexoses and aldohexoses.
117. Phosphoglycerides - are complex lipids that are major components of cell membranes.
118. Phosphoproteins - phosphate groups (casein in milk)
119. Plasma membrane – Acts as a physical barrier to enclose cell contents.
120. Polysaccharides – Contain very long chains of hundreds of thousands of monosaccharides
units which may be either in straight or branched chains.
121. Polyunsaturated - containing several double or triple bonds between carbon atoms.
Polyunsaturated fats, which are usually of plant origin,
122. Primary structure - The primary structure of a protein is the linear sequence of the side
chains that are connected to the protein backbone.
123. Prokaryotic cell – are the most abundant organisms, does not contain a membrane-bound
nucleus.
124. Prolactin – In pituitary origin.
125. Prophase – each chromosome consists of two chromatids joined at the centromere.
126. Prostaglandins - are cyclic compounds synthesized from arachidonic acid.
127. Protective function - Antibodies are proteins that protect the body from disease by
combining with and destroying viruses, bacteria, and other foreign substances.
128. Protein denaturation - Denaturation is caused when the folded native structures break down
because of extreme temps. or pH values, which disrupt the stabilizing structures.
129. Protein hydrolysis - Amides can be hydrolyzed under acidic or basic conditions.
130. Proteins - are biochemical molecules consisting of polypeptides joined by peptide bonds
between the amino and carboxyl groups of amino acid residues.
131. Pyranose ring - made up of six members that contain 5 Carbon and 1 Oxygen atom,
containing a stable cyclic hemiacetal or hemiketal.
132. Quaternary structure - When two or more polypeptide chains are held together by
disulfide bridges, salt bridges, hydrogen bond, or hydrophobic interactions, forming a larger
protein complex.
133. Regulatory function - Body processes regulated by proteins include growth hormone and
thyroid functions thyrotropin.
134. Rough endoplasmic reticulum – Modifies transports, and stores proteins produces by
attached ribosomes.
135. Salt bridges - are attractions between ions that result from the interactions of the ionized
side chains of acidic amino acids.
136. Saponifiable lipids - contain esters, which can undergo saponification.
137. Saturated - A solution with solute that dissolves until it is unable to dissolve anymore, leaving
the undissolved substances at the bottom.
138. Sebum - secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin, contains waxes that help to keep skin
soft and prevent dehydration.
139. Secondary structure - The a-helix is a single protein chain twisted to resemble a coiled helical
spring.
140. Sex hormones - produced in the testes and ovaries regulate the production of sperm and
eggs and aid in the development of secondary sex characteristics.
141. Simple diffusion – Is the type of diffusion of dissolve solutes through the plasma membrane.
142. Simple lipids - contain two types of components a fatty acid and an alcohol.
143. Simple proteins - contain only amino acid residues.
144. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum - It synthesizes lipids, phospholipids as in plasma
membranes, and steroids.
145. Soaps - NaOH produces a hard soap, commonly found in bar soaps; KOH produces a soft
soap, such as those in shaving creams and liquid soaps.
146. Somatostatin – In Hypothalamus origin.
147. Sphingolipids - are complex lipids that contain sphingosine instead of glycerol.
148. Sphingomyelins – Have a sphingosine or a related dihydroxy amine as their backbone.
149. Sphingosine - amino alcohol with an unsaturated hydrocarbon chain.
150. Starch – is a polymer consisting of D-glucose units, starch is usually insoluble in water
because of the high molecular weight, but they can form thick colloidal suspensions with
water.
151. Stearic acid – common sources of Lard, beef fat, Butterfat, Cottonseed oil.
152. Steroids - are classified as lipids because they are soluble in nonpolar solvents,
153. Storage function - Some proteins provide a way to store small molecules or ions, e.g.,
ovalbumin.
154. Structural function - In animal’s structural materials other than inorganic components of the
skeleton are proteins, such as collagen mechanical strength of skin and bone and keratin hair,
skin, fingernails.
155. Sucrose – Disaccharide type of sugar, also known as table sugar.
156. Telophase – Two new nuclei assume their normal structures, and cell division is
completed producing two new daughter cells.
157. Tertiary structure - a protein refers to the bending and folding of the protein into a specific
three-dimensional shape.
158. Transferrin - is a carrier of iron in blood plasma.
159. Transport function - Some proteins bind small molecules or ions and transport them through
the body.
160. Triglycerides - an ester formed from glycerol and three fatty acid groups.
161. Tripeptide - three amino acid molecules joined together with the elimination of water and
the formation of two amide.
162. Unsaturated - capable of dissolving more of a solute at the same temperature.
163. Vassopressin – In pituitary origin.
164. Vassopressin - known as antidiuretic hormone because it reduces the amount of urine
formed, which causes the body to conserve water. It also raises blood pressure.
165. Vesicles – transport cellular material.
166. Waxes - are simple lipids contain a fatty acid joined to a long-chain, are insoluble in water,
and not as easily hydrolyzed as fats and oils.
167. Xylose – Monosaccharide type of sugar, also known as wood sugar.
168. Zwitterion - a molecule or ion having separate positively and negatively charged groups.