Chapter 14 - Glycolysis & Gluconeogenesis

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, based on the provided lecture notes.

Bioenergetics

The study of energy flow (or energy transformations) in biological systems.

Fates of glucose

The various metabolic pathways that glucose can enter, including glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and the pentose phosphate pathway.

Glycolysis

A series of enzyme-mediated reactions that convert glucose into pyruvate, yielding ATP and NADH in the process.

Glucose 6-phosphate

An intermediate in glycolysis that is formed when glucose is phosphorylated.

NADPH

An electron carrier that provides reducing power in biosynthetic reactions and is produced in the pentose phosphate pathway.

Phosphorylation

The addition of a phosphate group to a molecule, often regulating metabolic pathways.

Substrate-level phosphorylation

The direct synthesis of ATP from ADP and a phosphorylated intermediate without the involvement of an electron transport chain.

Pyruvate

The end product of glycolysis that can either enter the citric acid cycle or undergo fermentation under anaerobic conditions.

Gluconeogenesis

The process of synthesizing glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors, primarily in the liver and kidney.

Pentose phosphate pathway

A metabolic pathway parallel to glycolysis that generates NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate for nucleotide synthesis.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

The primary energy currency of the cell, involved in various biochemical processes.

Oxidation–reduction reactions

Reactions that involve the transfer of electrons between two species.

Feeder pathways

Alternative metabolic pathways that allow different carbohydrates to enter glycolysis.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars like glucose, fructose, and galactose that can be metabolized through glycolysis.

Disaccharides

Sugars formed by the covalent bonding of two monosaccharides, such as sucrose and lactose.

Lactate

A byproduct of anaerobic respiration from the reduction of pyruvate, commonly occurring in muscles during vigorous activity.

Glycogen

A multi-branched polysaccharide of glucose that functions as a form of energy storage in animals.

Glucose-6-phosphatase

An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of glucose-6-phosphate to glucose and is crucial for gluconeogenesis.

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P)

An important intermediate in the glycolytic pathway that is formed from glucose.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate

An intermediate in glycolysis that is cleaved into two three-carbon molecules.

Oxaloacetate

A four-carbon molecule that is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle and is essential in gluconeogenesis.