Unit 3: Cellular Energetics Vocabulary

Enzyme

proteins that catalyze(speed up) reactions by lowering the activation energy

Substrate

a specific reactant that an enzyme acts upon to catalyze a biochemical reaction

Enzyme-Substrate Complex

enzymes act on substrates, and substrates bind to compatible active sites

Active Site

area for substrate to bind that has to be compatible to the substrate

Catalyst

speeds up reactions

pH

the measure of how acidic or basic a substance is

scale from 0-14 is used

7 is neutral

below 7 is acidic

above 7 is basic

Denature

the process where a protein or nucleic acid loses its specific 3D structure due to factors like heat, pH changes, or chemicals, which disrupts the bonds holding it together

Energy

the ability to do work, which is any change in the state or motion of matter

Kinetic energy

energy associated with motion

Potential energy

stored energy

Activation energy

the initial input of energy to start a reaction

ATP

molecule that organisms use as a source of energy to perform work

Catabolic pathway

pathways that breakdown complex molecules

releases energy

Anabolic pathway

pathways that build complex molecules from simpler compounds

require energy

Law of Thermodynamics

life requires a highly ordered system that does not violate the first and second law of thermodynamics

1st law: energy cannot be created or destroyed

energy can be transferred or transformed

ex. chemical(potential) energy in a nut will be transformed into kinetic energy for a squirrel to climb a tree

2nd law: energy transformation increases the entropy (measure of disorder) of the universe. The entropy/disorder of organisms can decrease as long as the entropy/disorder of the entire universe is still always increasing

Exergonic reaction

chemical reaction that releases energy

Endergonic reaction

chemical reaction that needs energy

C4 Plant

Light capturing complexes

NADPH

Light

Stomata

Stroma

Thylakoid

Reaction center

Chlorophyll

Redox reaction

Oxidation

Pigments

Photosynthesis

Photons

Wavelength

Reduction

Photoprotection

ATP

Heterotrophs

Calvin cycle

Chloroplast

Grana

Photosystems

Mesophyll

Photorespiration

G3P

CAM plant

Cellular respiration

Oxidation

Reduction

NAD+

FADH

Glycolysis

Pyruvate oxidation

Citric acid cycle

Chemiosmosis

ATP synthase

Anaerobic respirtation

Fermentation