Biochemistry: Metabolism Overview

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to metabolism as discussed in the biochemistry lecture notes.

Metabolism

The sum of all enzyme-catalyzed reactions in the body, including the synthesis and breakdown of biomolecules.

Anabolism

Biosynthetic reactions where small molecules are converted into larger, complex molecules, requiring energy.

Catabolism

Degradation reactions that break down organic nutrients into smaller molecules, releasing energy.

Amphibolic pathways

Metabolic pathways that can function in both anabolism and catabolism depending on conditions.

ATP (Adenosine triphosphate)

The universal currency of free energy in the cell, used for energy transfer in biological processes.

NAD (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)

An important electron carrier in metabolic processes, involved in redox reactions.

FAD (Flavin adenine dinucleotide)

Another electron carrier that can be reduced to FADH2, participating in metabolic redox reactions.

Free energy change (ΔG)

The difference in free energy between products and reactants, indicating whether a reaction is spontaneous.

Activation energy

The minimum energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.

Biosynthetic reactions

Processes that build complex molecules from simpler ones, often requiring energy input.

Redox reactions

Chemical reactions involving the transfer of electrons, where one substance is oxidized and another is reduced.

Substrate-level phosphorylation

A direct method of synthesizing ATP by transferring a phosphate group from a donor molecule to ADP.

Coenzyme A (CoA)

An activated carrier of acetyl groups and acyl groups in metabolic pathways.

Acetyl CoA

A key metabolite in metabolism, formed from the attachment of an acetyl group to Coenzyme A.

Regulation of metabolism

The control of metabolic pathways through enzyme activity and substrate availability to ensure efficient functioning.

Allosteric regulation

The modulation of enzyme activity through the binding of molecules at sites other than the active site.

Gene expression regulation

Controlling the amount of enzyme produced in a cell by influencing the expression of the gene coding for it.