bio4

Energy

The capacity or ability to do work or cause change

Chemical Bond

An attractive force holding atoms together breaking and rearranging bonds during metabolism releases or stores chemical potential energy

Enzyme

A catalytic protein that accelerates chemical reactions by lowering activation energy without being consumed

Autotroph

Organisms that synthesize organic building blocks from inorganic carbon

Photoautotroph

Uses light as an energy source

Chemoautotroph

Uses inorganic chemical bonds as an energy source

Heterotroph

Organisms that obtain organic carbon and energy by consuming other organisms

Detritivore

Heterotroph feeding on non-living organic matter and detritus

Chlorophyll

Photosynthetic pigment housed within the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts that absorbs light energy

ATP / ADP Cycle

The cellular energy shuttle

ADP + P

absorbs energy during catabolic processes/light reactions to form high-energy ATP

like the Calvin cycle

Hydrolysis of ATP back to ADP+P releases energy to power work and anabolic reactions

Electron Transport

Photosynthesis vs. Respiration

Photosynthesis

Electron transport chain (ETC) embedded in the thylakoid membrane transfers electrons energized by sunlight from H2O to NADP+, building a proton gradient to drive ATP synthesis

Aerobic Respiration

ETC embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane (cristae) transfers electrons extracted from food molecules (NADH/FADH2) to oxygen (O2), generating a proton motive force to synthesize ATP.

Catabolism

Metabolic pathways that break down complex molecules into simpler ones, releasing energy

Anabolism

Metabolic pathways that build complex molecules from simpler precursors, consuming energy

Chloroplast

Plant/algal organelle containing thylakoids and stroma; site of photosynthesis

Mitochondria

Eukaryotic organelle with cristae and matrix; site of cellular respiration