lecture 22 biochem

Metabolism

How living systems use energy captured from the environment.

ATP hydrolysis

The process where ATP is broken down to release energy.

Glycolysis

A metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, yielding energy in the form of ATP.

Gluconeogenesis

The synthesis of glucose from simpler precursors like pyruvate and lactate.

High-energy compounds

Molecules like ATP that capture free energy from the degradation of nutrients.

Phosphoryl group transfer

The movement of phosphoryl groups from high-energy to low-energy molecules.

Endergonic reaction

A reaction that requires an input of energy to proceed.

Exergonic reaction

A reaction that releases energy, typically favored thermodynamically.

Flux

The flow of metabolites through a metabolic pathway.

Allosteric effectors

Molecules that bind to enzymes and alter their activity.

NADH

A reduced cofactor that carries electrons and plays a significant role in energy metabolism.

Oxidation-reduction (Redox) reactions

Reactions involving the transfer of electrons between substances.

Conjugate redox pair

A pair consisting of a reducing agent and an oxidizing agent.

Standard reduction potential

A measure of the affinity of an electron acceptor for electrons, expressed in volts.

Pyrophosphate (PPi)

A byproduct of ATP hydrolysis, consisting of two phosphate groups.

Energy currency

A term often used to describe ATP, because it stores and releases energy for biological work.

Thioester bond

A high-energy bond found in compounds like acetyl-CoA.

Negative feedback regulation

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

Covalent modifications

Chemical changes to enzymes that regulate their activity, often through phosphorylation.

Hill coefficient

A measure of cooperativity of allosteric enzymes during substrate binding.

Catabolic pathways

Metabolic pathways that break down molecules to release energy.

Anabolic pathways

Metabolic pathways that build molecules and require input of energy.