Enzyme Regulation and Metabolic Pathways

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to enzyme regulation and metabolic pathways as discussed in the lecture notes.

Competitive inhibition

A type of enzyme regulation where a substrate or a similar molecule competes for access to the active site, deactivating the enzyme.

Allosteric regulation

A regulatory mechanism where a molecule binds to the enzyme at a site other than the active site, causing a change in enzyme shape that can activate or deactivate the enzyme.

Active site

The region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

Allosteric activation

Occurs when a regulatory molecule binds to a site other than the active site, making the active site available for substrates.

Allosteric deactivation

Occurs when a regulatory molecule binds to a site other than the active site, rendering the active site unavailable for substrates.

Feedback inhibition

A regulatory mechanism where the final product of a metabolic pathway inhibits an enzyme involved earlier in the pathway to prevent overproduction.

Metabolic pathways

Series of interconnected biochemical reactions that convert a substrate into a final product, often regulated by enzymes.

Physiological pathways

Biochemical pathways within living organisms that often utilize regulatory mechanisms like feedback inhibition to maintain homeostasis.