AP Biology Final Study Guide Part 2

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to metabolism, energy transformation, enzymatic function, and cellular respiration.

Metabolism

All of the chemical reactions in an organism.

Metabolic Pathways

Series of chemical reactions that either build complex molecules or break down complex molecules.

Catabolic Pathways

Pathways that release energy by breaking down complex molecules into simpler compounds.

Anabolic Pathways

Pathways that consume energy to build complicated molecules from simpler compounds.

Kinetic Energy

Energy associated with motion.

Thermal Energy

Energy associated with the movement of atoms or molecules.

Potential Energy

Stored energy.

Chemical Energy

Potential energy available for release in a chemical reaction.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transferred or transformed.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Energy transformation increases the entropy (disorder) of the universe.

Endergonic Reaction

Reactions that absorb free energy (ΔG > 0) and are non-spontaneous.

Exergonic Reaction

Reactions that release energy (ΔG < 0) and are spontaneous.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The molecule that organisms use as a source of energy to perform work.

Enzymes

Macromolecules that catalyze (speed up) reactions by lowering the activation energy.

Active Site

The area on an enzyme where the substrate binds.

Cofactors

Non-protein molecules that assist enzyme function.

Competitive Inhibitors

Inhibitors that reduce enzyme activity by blocking substrates from binding to the active site.

Noncompetitive Inhibitors

Inhibitors that bind to an area other than the active site, changing the shape of the active site.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which cells harvest chemical energy stored in organic molecules to generate ATP.

Glycolysis

The breakdown of glucose into pyruvate, yielding ATP and NADH.

Citric Acid Cycle (Krebs Cycle)

Cycle that oxidizes acetyl CoA to CO2 and generates NADH, FADH2, and ATP.

Electron Transport Chain (ETC)

A series of proteins in the mitochondrial inner membrane that transfer electrons and pump protons to create a proton gradient.

Chemiosmosis

Process by which ATP is produced using the proton gradient created by the electron transport chain.

Fermentation

Process that generates ATP without an electron transport chain, occurring in anaerobic conditions.

Lactic Acid Fermentation

Conversion of pyruvate directly by NADH to form lactate.

Alcohol Fermentation

Conversion of pyruvate into ethanol and CO2.