Cell Respiration and Metabolism

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to cell respiration and metabolism, helping students to study effectively for the exam.

Metabolism

All of the chemical reactions in the body needed to maintain homeostasis, divided into anabolism and catabolism.

Anabolism

The metabolic process that requires the input of energy to synthesize large molecules.

Catabolism

The metabolic process that releases energy by breaking down large molecules into small molecules.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The primary energy carrier in living organisms, generated from the breakdown of food.

Aerobic Respiration

A process that breaks down food with oxygen to produce energy, involving glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain.

Anaerobic Respiration

The process of producing cellular energy without oxygen, often leading to lactic acid production in muscles.

Glycolysis

The first step of cellular respiration occurring in the cytoplasm, breaking down glucose into pyruvate and generating ATP.

Citric Acid Cycle (Krebs Cycle)

A series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy through the oxidation of acetyl CoA.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The final stage of aerobic respiration where ATP is produced via the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis.

NADH

A coenzyme that carries electrons during cellular respiration, produced during glycolysis and the Krebs cycle.

FADH2

A coenzyme derived from riboflavin, involved in the Krebs cycle, which carries electrons to the electron transport chain.

Gluconeogenesis

The metabolic process of forming glucose from non-carbohydrate sources, primarily occurring in the liver.

Cori Cycle

The metabolic pathway in which lactic acid produced by anaerobic respiration in muscle is converted back to glucose in the liver.

Lipolysis

The metabolic process of breaking down triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol for energy.

Beta Oxidation

The process by which fatty acids are broken down in the mitochondria to generate acetyl CoA.

Ketone Bodies

Compounds produced during the breakdown of fatty acids when the rate of lipolysis exceeds their utilization.

Amino Acid Metabolism

The process in which amino acids are used for energy, protein synthesis, or converted into other molecules.

Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained through diet.

Non-Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids that can be synthesized by the body and do not need to be obtained from food.

Substrate-Level Phosphorylation

The direct generation of ATP by the transfer of a phosphate group to ADP during glycolysis or the Krebs cycle.

Oxidative phosphorylation

The process of ATP generation that occurs in the mitochondria, requiring oxygen and utilizing the electron transport chain.