Enzymes, Biochemical Reactions, and ATP Vocab

For SNHU Biology w/ Lab

Metabolism

All of the chemical reactions within each cell of an organism

Chemical Reaction

The breaking and forming of bonds between different substances during chemical changes

Catabolic

A chemical reaction that breaks down larger molecules into simpler compounds

Exergonic

A release in energy

Anabolic

Builds larger molecules from smaller ones

Endergonic

When energy is used to make chemical bonds

Activation Energy

The amount of energy needed to make a chemical reaction start

Reactants (substrate)

Substances that are changed during a chemical reaction

Products

Substances that are changed during a chemical reaction

Endothermic Reaction

A reaction that absorbs energy (in the form of heat or light)

Exothermic Reaction

A reaction that releases energy (in the form of heat or light)

Enzymes

Mostly proteins that speed up biochemical reactions by lowering the activation energy

Denaturation

When an enzyme’s active site gets deformed and loses its specific shape

pH

How acidic a solution is

Catalysts

(Like enzymes) speed up reactions

Competitive Inhibitor

Slows down reactions

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

An energy carrying molecule that carries/stores energy for cell functions

Adenosine Diphosphate

Created when ATP sheds/loses a phosphate

Chemiosmosis

The movement of ions down a concentration gradient

Active site

The region on an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and a chemical reaction takes place