Energy, Reactions & Enzymes Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards based on the key concepts covered in the lecture notes about energy, reactions, and enzymes.

Energy

The capacity to cause change or perform work.

Kinetic Energy

Energy in motion, allowing moving objects to perform work.

Potential Energy

Energy stored in an object due to its position relative to other objects.

Thermodynamics

The study of the relations between heat, work, temperature, and energy.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy can be transferred and transformed, but cannot be created or destroyed.

Entropy

A measure of disorder or randomness in a system.

Exergonic Reactions

Reactions that release energy, where reactants contain more potential energy than the products.

Endergonic Reactions

Reactions that take in energy, where products contain more potential energy than the reactants.

Metabolism

The total of an organism's chemical reactions, including those that build and break down molecules.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

A molecule that couples exergonic reactions to endergonic reactions, providing energy for cellular work.

Phosphorylation

The process of transferring a phosphate group from ATP to another molecule to energize it.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy needed.

Active Site

The specific region on an enzyme where the substrate binds.

Denature

A process in which enzymes lose their functional shape, typically due to extreme temperature or pH.

Cofactors

Non-protein helpers required by most enzymes that assist in catalysis.

Competitive Inhibitors

Chemicals that block substrates from entering the active site of an enzyme.

Noncompetitive Inhibition

Inhibition that occurs when a substance binds to an enzyme and alters its shape, preventing substrate binding.

Feedback Inhibition

A regulatory mechanism whereby the end product of a reaction inhibits an enzyme involved in its production.