Energetics and Cellular Respiration

The flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary related to energetics and cellular respiration, including glycolysis, aerobic respiration, fermentation, and the Krebs cycle.

Chemical Energy

Energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds, like sugar, that is converted to ATP by cellular respiration.

Glycolysis

The first step of cellular respiration that converts glucose into pyruvate, producing a net gain of 2 ATP.

Aerobic Respiration

Respiration that occurs in the presence of oxygen, involving the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain.

Fermentation

An anaerobic process that allows glycolysis to continue by converting NADH back to NAD+ without producing ATP.

Krebs Cycle

A series of 8 chemical reactions that oxidize pyruvate, generating electron carriers such as NADH and FADH2.

Electron Transport Chain (ETC)

A series of redox reactions where electrons are transferred, culminating in oxygen as the final electron acceptor to form water.

Chemiosmosis

The process of generating ATP using the proton motive force created by electron transport.

NAD+ and NADH

NAD+ is an electron acceptor in glycolysis; NADH is the reduced form that carries electrons to the ETC.

Acetyl-CoA

A key intermediate that enters the Krebs cycle after the decarboxylation of pyruvate.

Malonic Acid

A competitive inhibitor for succinate in the Krebs cycle, used to study enzyme inhibition.