Online Chemistry Notes for Students
Oxidation Definition Oxidation is a chemical process involving the loss of electrons by a molecule, atom, or ion, which increases the oxidation state of the chemical species. The historical definition of oxidation was based on the addition of oxygen to a compound as oxygen gas was the first known oxidizing agent. This definition aligns with … Read more
Fats Definition Fat is a type of nutrient composed of the ester of fatty acids and their mixtures which occur in living beings and are taken up through different food sources. Fats are a category of lipids and are also the most abundant of all lipids found in nature. These occupy about 90% of the … Read more
Enzymes Definition Enzymes are biological molecules that act as biological catalysts and accelerate the rate of chemical reactions in living systems. Enzymes are proteins that act on molecules, known as substrates, in order to produce different molecules called products. Most metabolic processes in biological systems require enzymes so that the processes can occur at rates … Read more
Glucose Definition Figure: Glucose Structure. Glucose is a simple form of sugar that is the primary source of energy in the living systems. Glucose is the most abundant monosaccharide on earth, which occurs and is utilized by different organisms throughout the world. The primary sources of glucose on earth are green plants and algae through … Read more
Deoxyribose Sugar Definition Deoxyribose is a five-carbon monosaccharide which is the sugar that forms the phosphate backbone of DNA molecules. As the name suggests, deoxyribose is formed by the loss of an oxygen atom from ribose sugar. The molecular formula of deoxyribose sugar is H-(C=O)-(CH2)-(CHOH)3-H, and it might exist in several isomeric forms. The hydroxyl … Read more
Cofactors Definition A cofactor is the non-protein part of an enzyme that is essential for the enzyme’s activity as a catalyst. Cofactors, together with the apoenzyme (protein component), form the complete enzyme (holoenzyme). The removal of the cofactor from an enzyme results in the loss of enzymatic activity. Cofactors can also be termed as helper … Read more
Amylase Definition Amylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch to form smaller sugar units by breaking down the glycosidic linkages between glucose units. Amylases are of two types; α-amylase and β-amylase that hydrolyze α- and β-linkages present in the starch molecule, respectively. Besides α- and β-amylases, a third group of amylases called … Read more
Aldoses Definition An aldose is a monosaccharide consisting of a carbon backbone and a carbonyl group at carbon-1, resulting in an aldehyde group. The general formula of aldoses is the same as most carbohydrates, Cn(H2O)n. The carbon atoms in the carbon backbone are each bonded to a hydroxyl group. All aldoses exhibit stereoisomerism as they … Read more
Acidic Amino Acids Definition Acidic amino acids are those amino acids that have a carboxylic acid group on their side chains at neutral pH, resulting in acidic properties in the molecule. Acidic amino acids have an additional carboxylic group (COOH) in addition to the one present on the linear chain. These types of amino acids … Read more
Amylose Definition Amylose is a polysaccharide consisting of α-D-glucose units that are linked together by α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. An amylose is an essential form of resistant starch that is more resistant to digestion than other starch molecules. The tightly packed helical structure of the molecule aids in its resistance. The carbon atoms in glucose are … Read more