Glossary
- Page ID
- 294266
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)| Words (or words that have the same definition) | The definition is case sensitive | (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] | (Optional) Caption for Image | (Optional) External or Internal Link | (Optional) Source for Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") | (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") | ![]() |
The infamous double helix | https://bio.libretexts.org/ | CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen |
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Word(s) |
Definition |
Image | Caption | Link | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkali metal | A metal in Group 1 of the periodic table | ||||
| Alkaline earth metal | A metal in Group 2 of the periodic table | ||||
| Amino acid | A biomolecule consisting of an amino group (amine) and a carboxylic acid. The building block of proteins. | ||||
| Anion | A negative ion | ||||
| Aqueous | Dissolved in water | ||||
| Atom | The smallest particle of an element that retains the properties of the element | ||||
| Atomic mass | The average mass of all isotopes of an element. Note: The atomic mass is usually listed on the periodic table. | ||||
| Atomic number | The number of protons in an atom. Note: The atomic number is usually listed on the periodic table. | ||||
| Cation | A positive ion | ||||
| Coefficient | (in chemistry) A number written before a chemical formula to indicate the number of copies needed to balance a chemical equation. | ||||
| Chemical change | A change in which the identity of the substance changes due to chemical bonds breaking and/or forming. Also called a chemical reaction. | ||||
| Chemical equation | A written description of a chemical reaction using symbols and formulas. | ||||
| Chemical formula | A description of a compound using chemical symbols and subscripts | ||||
| Compound | A pure substance composed of two or more elements bonded together in a fixed ratio. | ||||
| Covalent bond | An attraction between atoms due to the sharing of valence electrons. | ||||
| Electron | A small, negatively charged particle found around the nucleus of an atom. | ||||
| Element | A substance made of only one type of atom. Note: Elements are listed on the periodic table. | ||||
| Fatty acid | A biomolecule consisting of a carboxylic acid functional group with a long (~10 - 20 C atom) chain. | ||||
| Formula unit | The lowest ratio of elements in an ionic compound. | ||||
| Halogen | A nonmetal in Group 17 of the periodic table | ||||
| Heterogeneous mixture | A mixture in which different components are visible, e.g. in chunks or layers | ||||
| Homogeneous mixture | A mixture in which different components are not visible. The mixture looks the same throughout. Also called a solution. | ||||
| Inorganic compound | A compound that does not contain any C-H bonds. | ||||
| Ion | A charged particle | ||||
| Ionic compound | A compound formed by the attraction between cations and anions (ionic bond). | ||||
| Inner transition metal | Metals found in the two rows at the bottom of the periodic table. Also called lanthanides (top row) and actinides (bottom row) | ||||
| Isotope | A form of an element with a specific number of neutrons. | ||||
| Law | Something that has been observed over and over again in experiments. Helpful in making predictions. | ||||
| Mass number | The total number of protons and neutrons in a particular isotope of an element. Note: The mass number is NOT listed on the periodic table. | ||||
| Matter | Anything that has mass and takes up space | ||||
| Molecular compound | A compound consisting of molecules in which the atoms are held together by covalent bonds. | ||||
| Molecule | Two or more atoms covalently bonded together. | ||||
| Monomer | A small molecule that bonds to other small molecules to make a polymer. | ||||
| Monosaccharide | The building block (monomer) of carbohydrates. | ||||
| Neutron | An uncharged particle found in the nucleus of an atom. | ||||
| Noble gas | A nonmetal in Group 18 of the periodic table | ||||
| Nucleic acid | A type of biomolecule that stores and processes genetic information. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids. | ||||
| Nucleobase | The bases in nucleic acids. Their structure consists of 1 - 2 rings with several nitrogen atoms. | ||||
| Nucleoside | A component of nucleic acids. Consists of a nucleobase bonded to a monosaccharide. | ||||
| Nucleotide | The building block of nucleic acids. Consists of a nucleobase bonded to a monosaccharide bonded to a phosphate group. | ||||
| Octet rule | Atoms tend to gain, lose, or share valence electrons in order to get to a total of eight valence electrons. | ||||
| Organic compound | A compound containing carbon and hydrogen bonded together. It may also contain other elements. | ||||
| Periodic table | A list of all known elements | ||||
| Peptide | A biomolecule consisting of several amino acids (~2 - 100), but shorter than a protein | ||||
| Phospholipid | A biomolecule with a polar head and two long nonpolar tails. | ||||
| Physical change | A change in which the identity of the substance stays constant, i.e. it can still be represented by the same symbol or formula after the change. | ||||
| Polymer | A large molecule with a repeating structure. May be natural, e.g. protein and DNA, or synthetic, e.g. plastics. | ||||
| Precipitate | A solid that forms from solutions. | ||||
| Precipitation reaction | A reaction between two aqueous solutions that results in the formation of a precipitate | ||||
| Product | The result of a chemical reaction. Written after the arrow in a chemical equation. | ||||
| Proton | A positively charged particle in the nucleus of an atom. | ||||
| Reactant | A substance present before a chemical reaction occurs. Written before the arrow in a chemical equation. | ||||
| Solution | A homogeneous mixture. | ||||
| Subscript | (in chemistry) A number written lower than the normal text indicating the number of copies of an atom or ion in a molecule or formula unit. | ||||
| Theory | An explanation developed after a lot of experimentation. | ||||
| Transition metal | A metal located in Groups 3 - 12 of the periodic table | ||||
| Triacylglycerol | A biomolecule formed from glycerol and three fatty acids. Also known as a triglyceride. | ||||
| Valence electron | An electron in the outermost shell (layer) of an atom |


