Cellular Metabolism Flashcards

Flashcards covering cellular metabolism, anabolism, catabolism, enzymes, metabolic pathways, energy for metabolic reactions, ATP, cellular respiration, DNA, genetic information, and protein synthesis.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions in the body.

Anabolism

Small molecules are built into larger ones; requires energy.

Catabolism

Larger molecules are broken down into smaller ones; releases energy.

Enzymes

Globular proteins that catalyze specific reactions.

Cofactor

Non-protein substance that combines with the enzyme to activate it

Coenzyme

Organic molecule that acts as cofactor

Denaturation

Inactivation of an enzyme due to an irreversible change in its conformation.

Rate-limiting enzyme

A regulatory enzyme that catalyzes one step of pathway typically sets rate for entire reaction sequence.

Metabolome

All small molecules that are part of the metabolism in a cell, tissue, organ, or organism

Energy

Capacity to change something, or the ability to do work

Cellular respiration

Process that transfers energy from molecules and makes it available for cellular use.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

Molecule that carries energy in a form the cell can use.

Glycolysis

First reaction sequence of glucose breakdown.

Transcription

A process of copying DNA sequence onto an RNA sequence

Translation

Process of converting the genetic code, carried by mRNA, into a sequence of amino acids that becomes a protein

Glycolysis

Breaks down glucose (6-carbon) into 2 pyruvic acid (3-carbon) molecules

Glycolysis

Occurs in the cytosol.

Anaerobic reactions

Does not require oxygen.

Aerobic reactions

Requires oxygen.

Citric Acid Cycle

Begins when acetyl CoA combines with oxaloacetic acid to produce citric acid.

Electron Transport Chain

Series of enzyme complexes (electron carriers) located in the inner membrane of mitochondria

Glycogen

Most cells, but liver and muscle cells store the most.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

Molecule that stores information on its sequence of nucleotides, that instructs a cell to how synthesize certain proteins.

Genetic information

instructions to tell cells how to construct proteins; stored in DNA sequence

Gene

Sequence of DNA that contains information for making 1 protein

Genome

Complete set of genetic information in a cell

Exome

Small portion of the genome that codes for proteins

Double helix

Double-stranded molecule, consisting of 2 chains of nucleotides

DNA Replication

Process that produces an exact copy of a DNA molecule; occurs during interphase

Mutations

Changes in the DNA sequence

DNA Repair

Correction of a mismatched nucleotide by a Repair Enzyme

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

RNA that carries genetic code from DNA to ribosome in cytoplasm.

RNA Polymerase

Enzyme that catalyzes the formation of mRNA from the proper strand of DNA

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

aligns amino acids during translation, along the mRNA strand on the ribosome

Ribosomes

Organelles composed of Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and protein molecules

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions in the body.

Anabolism

Small molecules are built into larger ones; requires energy.

Catabolism

Larger molecules are broken down into smaller ones; releases energy.

Enzymes

Globular proteins that catalyze specific reactions.

Cofactor

Non-protein substance that combines with the enzyme to activate it

Coenzyme

Organic molecule that acts as cofactor

Denaturation

Inactivation of an enzyme due to an irreversible change in its conformation.

Rate-limiting enzyme

A regulatory enzyme that catalyzes one step of pathway typically sets rate for entire reaction sequence.

Metabolome

All small molecules that are part of the metabolism in a cell, tissue, organ, or organism

Energy

Capacity to change something, or the ability to do work

Cellular respiration

Process that transfers energy from molecules and makes it available for cellular use.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

Molecule that carries energy in a form the cell can use.

Glycolysis

First reaction sequence of glucose breakdown.

Transcription

A process of copying DNA sequence onto an RNA sequence

Translation

Process of converting the genetic code, carried by mRNA, into a sequence of amino acids that becomes a protein

Glycolysis

Breaks down glucose (6-carbon) into 2 pyruvic acid (3-carbon) molecules

Glycolysis

Occurs in the cytosol.

Anaerobic reactions

Does not require oxygen.

Aerobic reactions

Requires oxygen.

Citric Acid Cycle

Begins when acetyl CoA combines with oxaloacetic acid to produce citric acid.

Electron Transport Chain

Series of enzyme complexes (electron carriers) located in the inner membrane of mitochondria

Glycogen

Most cells, but liver and muscle cells store the most.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

Molecule that stores information on its sequence of nucleotides, that instructs a cell to how synthesize certain proteins.

Genetic information

instructions to tell cells how to construct proteins; stored in DNA sequence

Gene

Sequence of DNA that contains information for making 1 protein

Genome

Complete set of genetic information in a cell

Exome

Small portion of the genome that codes for proteins

Double helix

Double-stranded molecule, consisting of 2 chains of nucleotides

DNA Replication

Process that produces an exact copy of a DNA molecule; occurs during interphase

Mutations

Changes in the DNA sequence

DNA Repair

Correction of a mismatched nucleotide by a Repair Enzyme

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

RNA that carries genetic code from DNA to ribosome in cytoplasm.

RNA Polymerase

Enzyme that catalyzes the formation of mRNA from the proper strand of DNA

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

aligns amino acids during translation, along the mRNA strand on the ribosome

Ribosomes

Organelles composed of Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and protein molecules