AP Biology Unit 3: Cellular Energetics Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for AP Biology Unit 3: Cellular Energetics.

Usually proteins that catalyze reactions in cells.

Enzymes

The substance that an enzyme acts upon.

Substrate

A change in the shape of an enzyme that lowers or completely negates enzyme function.

Denaturation

The restoration of optimal conditions restores the enzyme's function as it regains its optimal shape.

Reversible Denaturation

The enzyme shape is permanently changed and its catalytic ability is destroyed.

Irreversible Denaturation

A foreign molecule blocks the enzyme's active site, preventing substrate binding.

Competitive Inhibition

A foreign molecule binds at the allosteric site, changing the shape of the active site.

Non-competitive Inhibition

A linked series of enzyme catalyzed chemical reactions occurring within a cell.

Metabolic Pathway

Organisms that can produce their own food.

Autotrophs

Use the energy and light to create organic compounds that they need to survive through photosynthesis

Photoautotrophs

The energy for their life processes comes from a process called chemosynthesis

Chemoautotrophs

Capture the energy present in organic compounds by other organisms.

Heterotrophs

Reactions that release energy and increase entropy.

Exergonic Reactions

Reactions that require energy and decrease entropy.

Endergonic Reactions

The linking of an exergonic reaction to an endergonic reaction to drive the endergonic reaction forward.

Energy Coupling

Converts light energy into chemical energy (ATP and NADPH).

Light Reactions

Converts the chemical energy in NADPH and ATP into carbohydrate by using carbon dioxide.

Calvin Cycle

The pigment that absorbs light energy in photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll

Shows how various light wavelengths drive photosynthesis.

Action Spectrum

The first phase of the Calvin Cycle where carbon dioxide gas is brought into the biosphere.

Carbon Fixation Phase

The second phase of the Calvin Cycle where matter is pulled out and becomes part of the plant.

Energy Investment and Harvest Phase

Substrate of carbon fixation along with carbon dioxide

RuBP (Ribulose Bisphosphate)

A three carbon molecule

Pyruvic Acid (Pyruvate)

Occurs when oxygen is lacking or insufficient or when the organism doesn't have the enzymes to do aerobic respiration

Aerobic respiration

Anaerobic respiration involving glycolysis followed by fermentation, occurs entirely in the cytoplasm

Anaerobic respiration