Energy and Metabolism

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to the concepts of energy, metabolism, enzymes, and thermodynamics.

Potential energy

Stored energy, which an object possesses by virtue of its position.

Kinetic energy

The energy of motion, which allows moving objects to perform work.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst that accelerates chemical reactions in living organisms.

Enzyme-substrate complex

A temporary molecule formed when an enzyme comes into perfect contact with its substrate.

Bioenergetics

The study of how energy flows through living organisms.

Thermodynamics

The branch of chemistry concerned with energy changes.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change forms.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Energy transformations are not 100% efficient, and some energy is lost as heat.

Gibbs Free Energy (G)

The energy available to do work in a system, can indicate whether a reaction is spontaneous.

Activation energy

The energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.

Endergonic reaction

A non-spontaneous reaction that requires an input of energy, resulting in products with more free energy.

Exergonic reaction

A spontaneous reaction that releases energy, resulting in products with less free energy.

ATP (Adenosine triphosphate)

The primary energy carrier in cells, composed of a ribose sugar, nitrogenous base, and three phosphate groups.

Catalyst

A substance that accelerates a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy.

Entropy

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

Biochemical pathways

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

Feedback inhibition

A regulatory mechanism in which the end product of a pathway inhibits an earlier step.

Anabolism

Energy-expending reactions that build complex molecules from simpler ones.

Catabolism

Energy-harvesting reactions that break down complex molecules into simpler ones.