Metabolic Reactions and Enzymes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to metabolic reactions and enzymes, providing definitions and explanations for important terms found in the lecture notes.

Metabolic Reactions

Chemical processes that occur within living organisms to maintain life.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in cells.

Catabolic Reaction

A metabolic process that breaks down complex molecules into simpler ones.

Anabolic Reaction

A metabolic process that builds complex molecules from simpler ones.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The primary energy carrier in cells, transferring energy via its phosphate groups.

Exergonic Reaction

A reaction that releases energy overall.

Endergonic Reaction

A reaction that requires an input of energy.

Activation Energy

The minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed.

Substrate

The reactant upon which an enzyme works.

Active Site

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

Allosteric Regulation

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

Feedback Inhibition

A regulatory mechanism in which an enzyme's activity is inhibited by the product of a reaction.

Competitive Inhibitor

A molecule that competes with the substrate for the active site of the enzyme.

Environmental Factors

Conditions such as pH and temperature that influence enzyme activity.

Metabolic Pathways

A series of interconnected biochemical reactions that lead to a specific product.