Oxidative Phosphorylation
the final stage of cellular respiration; the process by which ATP synthesis is coupled to the movement of electrons through the mitochondrial electron transport chain and the associated consumption of oxygen
Metabolism
The chemical changes that take place within a cell or an organism
Potential Energy
Energy stored in chemical bonds
Kinetic Energy
The energy of particles moving at different speeds, such as thermal energy
Energy
Ability to do work
Law of Conservation of Energy
The universe has a constant amount of energy; energy does not get created, it gets reused/regenerated
Law of Entropy
No process is 100% efficient; inputting 100% will not guarantee 100% output. Example: when we eat a lollipop, we only absorb some of the energy we get from it
Cellular Respiration
Cellular respiration is the process by which biological fuels are oxidised in the presence of an inorganic electron acceptor such as oxygen to produce large amounts of energy
Dehydration Synthesis
the creation of larger molecules/polymers from smaller monomers where a water molecule is released
Hydrolysis
A chemical process of decomposition involving the splitting of a bond by the addition of water
Exergonic Reaction
a reaction that releases free energy. Example: cellular respiration
Endergonic Reaction
a reaction that requires energy to be driven. Example: photosynthesis
Energy Coupling
reactions that are joined together and are used to push the second reaction with the release of free energy in one reaction
ATP
the source of energy for use and storage at the cellular level
ADP
an important organic compound in metabolism and is essential to the flow of energy in living cells
Phosphorylation
a process in which a phosphate group is added to a molecule, such as a sugar or a protein
Enzyme
proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions
Activation Energy
the amount of energy required to reach the transition state
Activation Site
part of the enzyme where the catalytic activity takes place and whose shape permits the binding only of a specific reactant molecule
Cofactor
a non-protein, typically metal ions, that sits in the active site of an enzyme; happens before reactions. Examples: zinc, magnesium, iron
Coenzyme
a non-protein that takes the product produced by a reaction and makes sure it’s dealt with properly (transporting it etc.); made up of organic molecules like vitamins; happens after a reaction
Feedback Loop (Enzymes)
helps cells keep track of what they need, thus controlling reaction rates; everything in a cell would fall into chaos without them
Negative Feedback / Feedback Inhibition
suppression of the activity of an enzyme, participating in a sequence of reactions by which a substance is synthesized, by a product of that sequence
Competitive Inhibition
has a similar shape to a substrate, it sits in the active site of an enzyme to block more substrates from fitting in; actively competes with substrates, think of a parking lot
Non-Competitive Inhibitor
binds elsewhere on the enzyme to cease production
Positive Feedback
rarer than negative feedback; tells the enzyme to keep going and increase production at the same time. Example: child birth releasing oxytocin
Cell Membrane
a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment
Fluid Mosaic
used to describe the plasma membrane which is composed of phospholipids and protein embeds
Glycoprotein
protein embeds with carbohydrate tails, serves as identification tags that are specifically recognized by membrane proteins
Selectively Permeable Membranes
not everything can get through the plasma membrane of a cell; proteins are primarily in charge of what enters and exits a cell
Phospholipid Bi-layer
a two-layered arrangement of phosphate and lipid molecules that form a cell membrane; phospholipids are made up of polar heads and nonpolar tails
Passive Transport
a type of membrane transport that does not require energy to move substances across cell membranes; think of diffusion, osmosis, and facilitated diffusion; moves from higher concentration to a lower concentration
Active Transport
the movement of molecules or ions across a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration; think of protein pumps, endocytosis, and exocytosis. Example: stomata in plants
Diffusion
movement of anything generally from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration until evenly distributed; think of how food dye disperses when placed in water. Examples: CO2, O2, and water molecules
Facilitated Diffusion
the diffusion of solutes through transport/helper proteins in the plasma membrane. Examples: glucose, ions, and large molecules
Osmosis
he net movement of water across a semipermeable membrane
Hydration Shell
sphere of water molecules around each dissolved Ion. Example: these form when salt is dropped in water
Hypotonic Solution
any external solution that has a low solute concentration and high water concentration compared to body fluids. Example: plant cells will swell due to excess water
Hypertonic Solution
any external solution that has a high solute concentration and low water concentration compared to body fluids. Example: plant cells shrivel due to lack of water
Isotonic Solution
any external solution that has the same solute concentration and water concentration compared to body fluids
Anabolic Reaction
reactions that use energy to build complex molecules from simpler organic compounds (e.g., proteins from amino acids, carbohydrates from sugars, fats from fatty acids and glycerol)
Catabolic Reaction
reactions that break complex molecules down into simpler ones, releasing chemical energy
Allosteric site
an extra site on an enzyme that allows for a noncompetitive inhibitor to bind
Active Site
the uniquely shaped pocket on an enzyme that allows for a substrate or competitive inhibitor to bind
Endocytosis
the cellular process in which substances are brought into the cell
Exocytosis
a form of active transport and bulk transport in which a cell transports molecules out of the cell
Phagocytosis
a form of endocytosis in which substances are wrapped around and pulled into a vacuole
Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis
substances must bind to receptors in order to be received into a cell
Pinocytosis
allows the intake of fluid
Kinase
a type of enzyme that adds chemicals called phosphates to other molecules
Dehydrongenase
enzyme that oxidizes a substrate by transferring hydrogen to an acceptor
Pyruvate
product when 6 carbon glucose are split into two 3 carbon pieces; end product of Glysis, which is converted into acetyl coA that enters the Krebs cycle when there is sufficient oxygen available
Acetyle CoA
a coenzyme whose main function is to deliver the acetyl group to the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) to be oxidized for energy production
Sub-Level Phosphorolation
when a phosphoryl group is transferred from a substrate to ADP to form ATP coupled with the release of free energy; happens during the first and third stages of cellular respiration
Electron Transport Chain
where NAD+ is sent when it oxidizes; an electrochemical gradient that leads to the creation of ATP in a complete system named oxidative phosphorylation
Oxidation
a biological process that involves the loss of electrons
Reduction
a biological process that involves the gain of electrons
Fermentation
defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen
Alcohol Fermentation
Ethanol is produced by alcoholic fermentation of the glucose in corn or other plants
Lactic Acid Fermentation
a metabolic process by which glucose or other six-carbon sugars are converted into cellular energy and the metabolite lactate, which is lactic acid in solution
Chemiosmosis
the process of moving ions (e.g. protons) to the other side of a biological membrane
Glycolysis
first step in cellular respiration; the metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate
Preparatory Reactions
second step in cellular respiration; generates a molecule of Acetyl-CoA from the Coenzyme A which can enter the mitochondria
Citric Acid Cycle
also known as KREBS; third step in cellular respiration process; a series of chemical reactions to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins