Elementary Chemistry

• Matter: Anything that takes up space and has mass.
• Aqueous solution: A solution in which the solvent is water.
• Pure substance: A sample that contains only one type of substance for which a chemical symbol or formula can be written.
• Element: The simplest type of matter; a pure substance composed of only one type of atom.
• Atom: The smallest unit of matter that can exist and keep its chemically unique characteristics.
• Mixture: A combination of two or more substances.
• Homogeneous mixture: A mixture whose composition is the same throughout.
• Heterogeneous mixture: A mixture whose composition varies throughout.
• Periodic table of elements: A table of elements organized by their properties into periods and groups.
• Chemical symbol: The one-or two-letter abbreviation for an element found on the periodic table.
• Group: One of the vertical columns of elements on the periodic table.
• Period: One of the horizontal rows of elements on the periodic table.
• Macronutrients: Found in the body as charged particles and are essential for transportation of electrical signals through cells.
• Micronutrients: Found concentrated in specific organs and tissues.
• Copper (Cu): Used in several enzymes that are essential for human health and development located in the liver.
• Fluoride (F): Mineralizes teeth and bones.
• Iodine (I): Found in thyroid hormones, used in staining of tissue.
• Iron (Fe): Found in hemoglobin, a protein that transfers oxygen from lungs to tissues, located in red blood cells.
• Manganese (Mn): Used with enzymes that act as antioxidants, enzymes involved in bone development and wound healing located in pituitary gland, bones, and connective tissue.
• Molybdenum (Mo): Used in proteins that regulate reproduction, thyroid, DNA synthesis, and oxidative damage located in skeletal muscle, thyroid, and the immune system.
• Zinc (Zn): Used in cell growth and division, and in immune system function; in mass is it vital to fertility and is located throughout the body, particularly in bones and muscle.
• Chromium (Cr): Initially considered a micronutrient but is now considered nonessential since removal from diet has no adverse health effects.
• Chemical Formula: A representation showing both the identity and number of elements in a compound.
• H: The chemical symbol of hydrogen.
• He: The chemical symbol of helium.
• Li: The chemical symbol of lithium.
• Be: The chemical symbol of beryllium.
• B: The chemical symbol of boron.
• C: The chemical symbol of carbon.
• N: The chemical symbol of nitrogen.
• O: The chemical symbol of oxygen.
• F: The chemical symbol of fluoride.
• Ne: The chemical symbol of neon.
• Na: The chemical symbol of sodium.
• Mg: The chemical symbol of magnesium.
• Al: The chemical symbol of aluminum.
• Si: The chemical symbol of silicon.
• P: The chemical symbol of phosphorus.
• S: The chemical symbol of sulfur.
• Cl: The chemical symbol of chlorine.