Lipid Catabolism and Photosynthesis

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary related to lipid catabolism and photosynthesis for effective exam preparation.

Lipid Catabolism

The process by which lipids (fats) are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids, which are then converted into acetyl-CoA.

Glycerol

A component of lipids that can be converted to pyruvate and then to acetyl-CoA during lipid catabolism.

Lipase

An enzyme that degrades fats into glycerol and fatty acids.

Acetyl-CoA

A key molecule that enters the Krebs cycle, derived from fatty acids and glycerol during catabolism.

Krebs Cycle

A series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to release stored energy through oxidation.

Photosynthesis

The process of synthesizing complex organic molecules from simple inorganic substances using light energy.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria that use water as an electron donor and produce oxygen.

Calvin-Benson Cycle

The light-independent reaction in photosynthesis where CO2 is fixed to generate sugars.

Photophosphorylation

The process of generating ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate using light energy.

Photoautotrophs

Organisms that use light as their primary energy source and CO2 as their primary carbon source.

Chemoheterotrophs

Organisms that obtain energy and carbon from organic chemicals.

Non-cyclic Photophosphorylation

A type of photophosphorylation that produces both ATP and NADPH.

Anoxygenic Photosynthesis

A type of photosynthesis that does not produce oxygen, using sulfur compounds or hydrogen as electron donors.

Beta-oxidation

The breakdown of fatty acids to generate acetyl-CoA, NADH, and FADH2.

NADP+

An electron acceptor that is reduced to NADPH during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

Chemotrophs

Organisms that obtain energy from oxidation-reduction reactions of organic and inorganic substances.