Enzymes and Cellular Energy

These flashcards cover the key concepts about enzymes and cellular energy from the lecture notes.

What are enzymes?

Proteins that speed up metabolic reactions and are reusable.

What is the characteristic suffix for enzymes?

Enzymes typically end in 'ase', such as sucrase and lactase.

What is the induced fit model?

A model where the enzyme changes shape to fit the substrate perfectly.

What is a catabolic pathway?

Metabolic reactions that release energy by breaking down complex molecules into simpler ones.

What is the role of the active site on an enzyme?

It is the specific region where the substrate fits and undergoes a chemical reaction.

What occurs during enzyme denaturation?

The enzyme's active site changes shape, rendering it unable to bind to its substrate.

What is the ATP cycle?

A process that illustrates how energy is stored and released in cells.

What does the first law of thermodynamics state?

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

What does the second law of thermodynamics state?

In any energy transfer, the universe becomes more disordered.

What is the difference between energy absorbed in photosynthesis and energy released in cellular respiration?

Photosynthesis absorbs energy, while cellular respiration releases energy.