Introduction to Bacterial Metabolism Study Guide

Flashcards covering essential vocabulary and definitions related to bacterial metabolism.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions in a cell.

Catabolism

The metabolic process that breaks down molecules to release energy.

Anabolism

The metabolic process that builds complex molecules using energy.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering activation energy.

Coenzymes

Non-protein molecules (like NAD+, FAD) that aid enzymes by transferring electrons or chemical groups.

Autotrophs

Organisms that use inorganic carbon (CO₂) as their carbon source, e.g., cyanobacteria, plants.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that use organic carbon (like glucose) as their carbon source, e.g., most bacteria, humans.

Activation Energy

The minimum energy needed for a reaction to occur.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The main energy currency of the cell.

Phosphorylation

The process of adding a phosphate group to ADP to form ATP.

Glycolysis

The first stage of cellular respiration, producing 2 ATP, 2 NADH, and 2 Pyruvate.

Krebs Cycle

The second stage of cellular respiration, producing 2 ATP, 6 NADH, 2 FADH₂, and CO₂.

Electron Transport Chain (ETC)

The third stage of cellular respiration, producing ~34 ATP and H₂O.

Aerobic Respiration

Respiration that requires oxygen and produces 36-38 ATP, with oxygen as the final electron acceptor.

Anaerobic Respiration

Respiration that does not require oxygen and uses inorganic molecules as the final electron acceptor.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that regenerates NAD+ for glycolysis in the absence of oxygen, producing compounds like lactic acid or ethanol.