Metabolism and Catabolism Overview

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to metabolism and catabolism, including glycolysis, fermentation, and regulatory mechanisms.

Catabolism

Reactions that break down larger molecules into smaller molecules and energy intermediates.

Anabolism

Reactions that assemble small molecules into macromolecules and biomass.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions in a biological system, including catabolism and anabolism.

Glycolysis

The process that breaks down glucose into pyruvate, producing ATP and NADH.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that recycles NADH to NAD+ without oxygen, typically producing alcohols or acids.

TCA Cycle

Also known as the Krebs cycle; it is involved in aerobic respiration and produces NADH and CO2 from acetyl-CoA.

Proton Motive Force (PMF)

The electrochemical gradient of protons across a membrane that drives ATP synthesis.

Allosteric Regulation

Regulation of an enzyme's activity through binding of an effector molecule at a site other than the active site.

Oxidation-Reduction (Redox) Reaction

Reactions involving the transfer of electrons between an electron donor and an acceptor.

NADH

A reduced form of NAD+ that acts as an electron carrier in cellular respiration.

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex (PDC)

An enzyme complex that links glycolysis with the TCA cycle by converting pyruvate to acetyl-CoA.

Feedback Inhibition

A regulatory mechanism where the end product of a pathway inhibits an earlier step in the pathway.

Redox Tower

A representation of the energetics of redox reactions, indicating which compounds can serve as donors or acceptors.

ATP Synthase

An enzyme that synthesizes ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate using energy stored in the proton motive force.

Facultative Anaerobes

Organisms that can switch between aerobic respiration and fermentation depending on oxygen availability.

Chemical Flux

The dynamic state of pathways and reactions within metabolism, indicating that they are constantly changing.