Chemical reactions and Enzymes

Chemical reaction

A process that changes one set of chemicals into another, with the conservation of mass and energy, involving changes in chemical bonds.

Reactants

Elements or compounds that participate in a chemical reaction.

Products

Elements or compounds that are produced as a result of a chemical reaction.

Absorb energy

Chemical reactions that require an external energy source to proceed.

Release energy

Chemical reactions that occur spontaneously and release energy.

Energy sources

Plants use photosynthesis, while animals obtain energy from food.

Activation energy

The energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.

Enzymes

Nature's catalysts, typically proteins, that facilitate biochemical reactions in living organisms.

Substrates

The reactants involved in enzyme-catalyzed reactions.

Enzyme regulators

Factors such as temperature, pH, and regulatory molecules that influence the activity of enzymes.

Biomolecules

Large organic molecules, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Polymerization

The process by which smaller units (monomers) join together to form larger molecules (polymers).

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, serving as a source of energy or for structural and storage purposes in living organisms.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars, the building blocks of carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates

Polysaccharides formed by the linkage of many monosaccharides.

Lipids

Organic compounds composed of carbon and hydrogen, primarily used for energy storage and forming hydrophobic barriers, such as fats, oils, and waxes.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers assembled from monomers called nucleotides, responsible for storing and transmitting hereditary/genetic information.

Nucleotides

Consist of a 5-carbon sugar group, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Proteins

Complex macromolecules composed of amino acids or polypeptide chains, involved in controlling reaction rates, regulating cell processes, forming cellular structures, and transporting substances.

Amino acids

Organic compounds containing an amino group and a carboxyl group, linked together by peptide bonds to form polypeptides.

4 protein structures

Primary structure (sequence of amino acids), secondary structure (folding/coiling of the polypeptide chain), tertiary structure (complete 3-D arrangement of the polypeptide chain), quaternary structure (arrangement of multiple polypeptide chains).