Cellular Energetics and Metabolism

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from cellular energetics and metabolism.

ATP

A molecule that stores and supplies energy for many biochemical cellular processes.

Catabolism

The metabolic process that breaks down molecules to obtain energy.

Anabolism

The metabolic process that builds up molecules from smaller units, requiring energy.

Exergonic reaction

A chemical reaction that releases energy and occurs spontaneously.

Endergonic reaction

A chemical reaction that requires energy input to occur.

Enzyme

A protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy.

Active site

The region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

Denaturation

The process in which proteins lose their structure due to external stress, leading to loss of function.

Competitive inhibitor

A molecule that binds to the active site of an enzyme, blocking the substrate from binding.

Noncompetitive inhibitor

A molecule that binds to an allosteric site on an enzyme, changing its activity without blocking the active site.

Glycolysis

The metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, producing ATP and NADH.

Krebs Cycle

A series of enzymatic reactions that produce energy through the oxidation of acetyl CoA, yielding CO2, ATP, NADH, and FADH2.

Electron Transport Chain (ETC)

A series of complexes that transfer electrons from NADH and FADH2 to oxygen, creating a proton gradient that drives ATP synthesis.

Fermentation

An anaerobic process that allows for ATP production when oxygen is not available, resulting in byproducts such as lactic acid or ethanol.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Calvin Cycle

The light-independent reactions in photosynthesis that convert CO2 into glucose using ATP and NADPH.