Cell Biology and Cellular Respiration

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from cell biology and cellular respiration, including enzyme regulation, metabolic pathways, the cell cycle, cancer biology, and feedback mechanisms.

Allosteric Regulation

Regulation of an enzyme's activity through binding at sites other than the active site.

Active Site

The region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

Allosteric Site

A regulatory site on an enzyme that binds molecules to influence enzyme activity.

Cooperativity

A phenomenon in enzymes where the binding of a substrate to one active site affects the binding of substrates to other active sites.

Feedback Inhibition

A metabolic pathway mechanism wherein the end product acts as an inhibitor to an early enzyme in the pathway.

Anaerobic respiration

A form of respiration using electron acceptors other than oxygen.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that converts sugars to acids, gases, or alcohol in the absence of oxygen.

Glycolysis

The metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, producing small amounts of ATP.

Citric Acid Cycle

A key metabolic pathway that uses acetyl CoA to fuel the production of ATP and electron carriers.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The final stage of cellular respiration where ATP is produced through the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis.

Cell Cycle

The series of phases that a cell goes through during its life, including growth, DNA replication, and division.

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK)

Enzymes that, when activated by cyclins, can phosphorylate other proteins to regulate the cell cycle.

Homologous Chromosomes

Pairs of chromosomes containing the same genes, one from each parent.

Cancer

A disease characterized by uncontrolled cell division resulting from mutations in genes regulating the cell cycle.

G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCR)

A large family of receptors that mediate responses to various stimuli by activating G proteins.

Signal Transduction Pathway

A series of molecular events and interactions that result in a cellular response to a signal.

Negative Feedback

A control mechanism that counteracts change to help maintain homeostasis by reducing the effect of a stimulus.

Positive Feedback

A process that enhances or increases the change or output in a system.