UNIT 3 AP BIOOOOO

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that facilitate chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy.

Active Site

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

Denaturation

Disruption of an enzyme's protein structure resulting in loss of its catalytic activity.

Competitive Inhibitors

Molecules that bind to the active site of an enzyme, preventing substrates from binding.

Noncompetitive Inhibitors

Molecules that bind to allosteric sites on an enzyme, changing its activity.

Cellular Respiration

The series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions that capture energy from biological macromolecules to produce ATP.

Photosynthesis

The process by which organisms capture energy from sunlight and convert it into sugars.

Electrochemical Gradient

A difference in proton concentration across a membrane that drives the synthesis of ATP.

Krebs Cycle

Also known as the citric acid cycle, it is a series of reactions in cellular respiration that release energy from organic molecules.

Glycolysis

A biochemical pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, producing ATP and NADH.

Photophosphorylation

The process of generating ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate using energy derived from light.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The process of ATP synthesis in cellular respiration linked to the electron transport chain.

Homeostasis

The ability to maintain a stable internal environment within an organism.

Substrate Concentration

The concentration of substrate molecules available for an enzyme-catalyzed reaction.

Proton Gradient

A difference in hydrogen ion concentration that drives ATP synthesis during cellular respiration and photosynthesis.

Metabolic Pathway

A series of interconnected enzymatic reactions resulting in the conversion of substrates into products.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that converts carbohydrates to acids or alcohols in the absence of oxygen.

Calvin Cycle

The cycle of reactions in photosynthesis that synthesizes sugars from carbon dioxide.