Unit 3

These flashcards encompass key vocabulary terms and their definitions related to cellular energetics, including processes such as photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Activation Energy

The energy barrier that must be overcome for a reaction to occur.

Catalyst

A substance that reduces activation energy and increases reaction rate without undergoing a chemical change.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst that changes the conformation of substrates to facilitate chemical reactions.

Substrate

The molecule that an enzyme binds with to facilitate a change.

Bioenergetics

The study of energy transformation in living organisms.

Metabolism

The general term for all energy transformations in living organisms, including processes like photosynthesis and respiration.

Anabolism

The process of storing energy in the form of chemical bonds.

Catabolism

The process of releasing energy by breaking down molecules.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

The primary source of energy used by cells.

Photosynthesis

The process where light energy is converted to cellular energy in the form of glucose.

Calvin Cycle

The light-independent reaction of photosynthesis where carbon dioxide, ATP, and NADPH are used to create sugars.

Photophosphorylation

The process of generating ATP from ADP powered by light energy during photosynthesis.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The final step of cellular respiration where ATP is produced using the electron transport chain and oxygen as the final electron acceptor.

Fermentation

An anaerobic process where glycolysis continues without oxygen, producing organic molecules like lactic acid or alcohol.