Energy Currencies and Redox Fundamentals

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to cellular energy currencies, metabolic processes, and redox reactions.

Cell Metabolism

All of the chemical processes that sustain life in a cell.

Cells use what kind of energy currencies?

ATP and NADH

What happens when electrons are lost?

They lose hydrogen vise versa

Metabolic Pathway

A series of chemical reaction steps within a cell.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

Primary cellular energy currency; stores energy in phosphoanhydride bonds.

NADH

Electron-carrying molecule that functions as an energy currency in cells.

Catabolism

breakdown of larger molecules into smaller ones, releasing energy.

Anabolism

Metabolic synthesis of larger molecules from smaller ones, requiring energy.

Phosphoanhydride Bond

A weak bond and releases high energy when broken

Endergonic Reaction

Non-spontaneous chemical reaction that requires an input of energy, often from ATP.

Exergonic Reaction

Spontaneous chemical reaction that releases free energy.

ΔG (Gibbs Free-Energy Change)

Measure of the overall energy change of a reaction; negative for exergonic, positive for endergonic processes.

Redox Reaction

Chemical reaction involving the transfer of electrons between molecules.

Oxidation

Loss of electrons (often accompanies loss of hydrogen or gain of oxygen).

Reduction

Gain of electrons (often accompanies gain of hydrogen or loss of oxygen).

OIL RIG

Mnemonic for redox: Oxidation Is Losing (electrons); Reduction Is Gaining (electrons).