Food Microbio Exam 2 Flash Cards

Metabolism

The study of chemical reactions by which microbes grow and reproduce.

Catabolism/Catabolic Reactions

Chemical reactions that release energy by breakdown of nutrients, providing energy and building blocks for anabolism.

Anabolism/Anabolic Reactions

Reactions that use energy and building blocks to build large molecules and for other cellular functions.

Chemoorganotrophs

Microorganisms that use organic molecules as a source of energy.

Chemolithotrophs

Microorganisms that use inorganic molecules as a source of energy.

Gibb’s Free Energy Change

The amount of available energy liberated or used up in a reaction.

Exergonic Reaction

Reactions that release energy, indicated by a negative change in G.

Endergonic Reaction

Reactions that require energy, indicated by a positive change in G.

ATP

A high energy carrier molecule used to power biosynthetic reactions.

Substrate Level Phosphorylation

Generation of ATP from the transfer of a high energy phosphate group to ADP.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The generation of ATP using energy released from electron transfer in the electron transport chain.

Photophosphorylation

The generation of ATP in photosynthetic organisms through light energy.

NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)

A coenzyme involved in energy reactions; exists in reduced (NADH) and oxidized (NAD+) states.

Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

A redox reaction; oxidation is the removal of electrons, and reduction is the gain of electrons.

Apoenzyme

The protein component of an enzyme that requires a cofactor to be active.

Holoenzyme

An active enzyme composed of an apoenzyme plus its cofactor.

Oxidoreductase

Enzymes that catalyze oxidation-reduction reactions.

Transferase

Enzymes that transfer functional groups between molecules.

Hydrolase

Enzymes that catalyze hydrolysis reactions.

Fermentation

An energy-releasing process that does not require oxygen and does not use the Krebs cycle or ETC.

Pseudomonas

A genus of bacteria involved in various metabolic pathways, can utilize alternative pathways to glycolysis.

Cyclic AMP (cAMP)

A secondary messenger that plays a role in various biological processes.

Growth Factors

Organic compounds required by certain organisms that are not synthesized by them.

Fastidious Microbes

Microorganisms that require specific nutrients and cannot grow in minimal media.

Culture Medium

Nutrients prepared for the growth of microorganisms.

Agar

A complex polysaccharide used as a solidifying agent in culture media.

Enrichment Culture

A technique that encourages the growth of specific microbes while suppressing others.

Binary Fission

The primary method of asexual reproduction in prokaryotes.

Generation Time

The time it takes for a population to double, mathematically calculated as t/3.3 log(b/B).