chemical processes

1. What is an enzyme? 

Catalyst that speeds up chemical reaction

2. Define metabolism. 

Process of converting food into energ

3. What is ATP and why is it important? 

ATP is energy stored in chemical bonds

4. What does "substrate" mean?

Surface where organism lives and grows

5. Define catabolism.

Breaking down molecules

6. Define anabolism. 

Synthesis of larger molecules

7. What is the active site of an enzyme?

Region where enzyme and substrate bind together and chemical reaction happens

8. What does pH measure? 

How acidic or basic a substrate is (concentration of H+)

9. What is catalase? 

Enzyme that catalyzes breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen

10. What does "aerobic" mean? 

With oxygen

11. How do enzymes speed up reactions? 

Lowering activation of energy required to start reaction 

12. Why are enzymes specific? 

Active sites are unique and specific

13. What happens when an enzyme is denatured? 

Looses it’s shape

14. List three factors affecting enzyme activity. .

Temperature, pH, substrate concentration 

15. Why aren't enzymes consumed during reactions?

recycling

16. Main difference between catabolism and anabolism? 

catabolism breaks, anabolism builds 

17. Give two examples of catabolic processes. 

Digestion & cellular respiration

18. Give two examples of anabolic processes. 

Protein synthesis & photosynthesis

19. How are catabolism and anabolism related energy-wise? 

Catabolism releases energy, anabolism consumes energy

20. What is glycolysis? 

Metabolic pathway that breaks down glucose into two pyruvate to form ATP and NADH

21. Name three ways microorganisms produce ATP. 

Cellular respiration, fermentation, photophosphorylation

22. Which method produces the most ATP per glucose? 

Aerobic respiration

23. Main difference between fermentation and aerobic respiration? 

Aerobic requires oxygen while fermentation does not

24. What is the purpose of fermentation? 

to regenerate NAD+ from NADH so that glycolysis can continue

25. What is the electron transport chain? 

protein complexes in a membrane that passes electrons from one molecule to another to create a proton gradient

26. What is the final electron acceptor in aerobic respiration? 

Oxygen

27. What is fermentation and what are some products? 

Microorganisms break down into carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. sourdough, beer, yogurt, cheese, kimchi 

28. What is nitrogen fixation? 

Converting nitrogen gas into ammonia that plants can use

29. How does bacterial photosynthesis differ from plant photosynthesis? 

oxygen production, location, and pigments

30. Why are nitrogen-fixing bacteria important? 

they convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form that plants need for growth

31. What is a neutrophile? 

pH 6.5 to 7.5.

32. What is an acidophile? 

pH of 5.5 or lower

33. What is an alkaliphile? 

pH of 8 or higher

34. Why does extreme pH affect bacterial growth? 

inhibit or kill bacteria by denaturing enzymes and damaging cellular components essential for metabolism, growth, and survival

35. At what pH do most pathogenic bacteria grow best? 

6.5-7.5

36. What is the chemical equation for catalase reaction?

2H₂O₂ → 2H₂O + O₂

37. What does a positive catalase test look like? 

Bubbling

38. Why is catalase important for bacteria? 

Protects them from oxidation

39. Was E. coli catalase-positive or negative? 

positive

40. Was Enterococcus catalase-positive or negative? 

negative

41. What causes the bubbling in a positive test?

Enzyme breaking down into hydrogen and gas

42. How is the catalase test useful in microbiology? 

identifying various bacterial species based on their ability to produce the enzyme catalase

43. How does understanding pH help in food preservation? 

Lowering the pH of food products prevents spoilage by inhibiting the growth of certain microorganisms and enzymatic activities that degrade food