 | Term | Definition |
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Acid |
A substance that releases hydrogen ions when it is dissolved in water. |
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Acidic |
A substance with an hydrogen ion concentration exceeding the OH- concentration. |
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Antioxidant |
A molecule that reacts with a free radical, neutralizing it's damage to biological molecules |
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Atom |
The smallest particle of an element that still retains the properties of that element. |
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Atomic Nucleus |
The central part of an atom that contains both protons and neutrons. |
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Atomic Number |
The number of protons in the nuclei of all atoms of a particular element. |
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Base |
A substance that combines with a hydrogen ion, reducing it's number. |
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Basic |
A substance with a OH- concentration exceeding H+. |
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Buffer |
A compound that tends to maintain a solution at a constant pH by accepting or releasing H+ in response to small changes in H+ concentration. |
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Calorie |
A unit of energy, in which the energy of food is measured. |
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Chemical Bond |
The force of attraction between neighboring atoms that hold them together into a molecule. |
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Chemical Reaction |
The process that forms and breaks chemical bonds that hold atoms together. |
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Cohesion |
The tendency for similar molecules to stick together. |
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Compound |
A substance whose molecules are formed by different types of atoms; can be broken into its constituent elements by chemical means. |
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Covalent Bond |
A chemical bond between atoms in which electrons are shared. |
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Electron |
Negatively charged subatomic particle, found in the electron shell outside the nucleus of an atom. |
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Electron Shell |
A region that corresponds to a higher level of energy as it gets farther from the nucleus. |
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Element |
A substance that cannot be broken down, or converted, to simpler substance by ordinary chemical means. |
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Free Radical |
A molecule with an unpaired electron, which makes it high unstable and reactive with nearby molecules. |
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Hydrogen Bond |
The weak attraction between a hydrogen atom that bears a partial positive charge and another atom, normally O and N, that bears a partial negative charge. |
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Hydrophilic |
Molecules that have an electric attraction to water; dissolves in water. |
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Hydrophobic |
Larger molecules with nonpolar covalent bonds that usually don't dissolve in water. |
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Hydrophobic Interaction |
The tendency of hydrophobic molecules to clump together when immersed in water. |
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Ion |
An atom or molecule that has a charge; a molecule or atom that has either gained or lost an electron. |
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Ionic Bond |
A chemical bond formed by the electrical attraction between positively and negatively charged ions. |
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Isotope |
One of several forms of a single element, the nuclei of which contain the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. |
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Molecule |
A particle composed of one or more atoms held together by chemical bonds; the smallest particle of a compound that displays the properties of that compound. |
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Neutron |
A neutral charged subatomic particle found in the nuclei of atoms. |
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Nonpolar Covalent Bond |
A covalent bond with equal sharing of electrons. |
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pH Scale |
Measures the relative acidity of a solution, ranging form 0-14. |
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Polar Covalent Bond |
A covalent bond with an unequal sharing of electrons. |
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Proton |
A positively charged subatomic particle that is found in the nuclei of an atom. |
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Radioactive |
An atom with an unstable nucleus that spontaneously disintegrates, with the emission of radiation. |
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Solvent |
A liquid capable of dissolving other substances in itself. |
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Surface Tension |
The tendency of the water surface to resist being broken. |
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