Chapter 6: Metabolism Energy and Enzymes

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to metabolism, energy transformation, and the role of enzymes in biological processes.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions that occur in the cell.

Energy

The ability to do work or bring about change.

Kinetic Energy

The energy of motion; examples include water flowing or an animal walking.

Potential Energy

Stored energy that hasn’t been used yet; food has potential energy due to energy stored in chemical bonds.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The common energy currency of cells, regenerated from ADP and inorganic phosphate.

Enzyme

A molecule that speeds up a chemical reaction without being affected by the reaction.

Substrate

The substance on which an enzyme acts.

Free Energy

The energy that is available to do work after a chemical reaction.

Exergonic Reaction

A spontaneous reaction that releases energy.

Endergonic Reaction

A reaction that requires an input of energy to occur.

Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Entropy

A measure of disorder or randomness in a system; increases with energy transformations.

Induced Fit Model

The model that describes how an enzyme changes shape to accommodate the substrate during a reaction.

Cofactors

Inorganic ions required at activation sites for enzyme function.

Coenzymes

Non-protein organic molecules required at activation sites for enzyme function.

Enzyme Inhibition

A process where a molecule binds to an enzyme and decreases its activity.

Competitive Inhibition

Inhibition where an inhibitor competes with the substrate for the active site of the enzyme.

Non-competitive Inhibition

Inhibition where an inhibitor binds to an enzyme at a site other than the active site.