LEARNING CELLULAR PROCESSES AND
FUNCTIONS BREAKDOWN 2026
◉ Essential Elements. Answer: elements that are required for
human life and are abundant
◉ Trace Elements. Answer: elements that are required for human
life but only in small amounts
◉ 6 predominate elements in living organisms. Answer: oxygen,
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphate
◉ Ions. Answer: atoms of molecules with net negative or positive
charge
◉ Cations. Answer: positively charged ions
◉ Anions. Answer: negatively charged ions
◉ Ionic Bonds. Answer: formed when ions of molecules of opposite
charge are attracted to each other
,relatively stable
typically metal + nonmetal
◉ Covalent Bond. Answer: formed when electrons are shared
equally between two atoms to complete the valence shells of both
strong
typically nonmetal + nonmetal
◉ Polar Covalent Bond. Answer: formed when electrons are shared
unequally between 2 atoms to complete the valence shells of both
-results in partial negative and positive charges in the bonded atoms
-allows hydrogen bonding
◉ Hydrogen Bond. Answer: formed by electrostatic interactions
between molecules with polar covalent bonds
weak
◉ Macromolecules. Answer: large polymeric molecule made up of
many covalently bonded monomers
◉ Biomacromolecules. Answer: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins,
nucleic acids (DNA/RNA)
, ◉ Carbohydrate Major Function. Answer: energy metabolism
◉ Lipid Major Function. Answer: energy, structural, regulatory
◉ Protein Major Function. Answer: regulation, structure, transport,
protection
◉ Nucleic Acid Major Function. Answer: regulation, hereditary,
protein synthesis
◉ Carbohydrates. Answer: made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
atoms
commonly referred to as "sugars"
primary source of fuel for organisms
◉ Carbohydrate hydrogen to oxygen ration. Answer: 2:1
◉ Monosaccharides. Answer: simple sugar carbohydrates made up
of a single monomer
ex: glucose, fructose, and ribose + deoxyribose (RNA+DNA)
◉ Functional Groups. Answer: molecules that bind to the carbon
backbone of a simple sugar (monosaccharide)