Thermodynamics and Life Flashcards
What properties do life consist of?
Matter, Energy, Information
How does life interact with matter, energy and infomation?
Life transfers, transforms and allows for the flow of those properities.
What is potential energy?
Stored energy due to the position of an object in a force field. The potential of an object to do work or release energy.
What is kinetic energy?
The energy an object has due to its motion. The energy consumed from the potential energy in order to do work.
What is a chemotroph?
An organism that takes energy from chemical bonds in order to produce ATP or energy.
What is a phototroph?
An organism that absorbs energy from the Sun in order to produce ATP or energy.
What is a chemolithotroph?
An organism that uses inorganic chemical sources in order to produce ATP or energy.
What is a chemoorganotroph?
An organism that uses organic chemical sources in order to produce ATP or energy.
Is oxygen essential to life on Earth?
No, oxygen is actually a toxin that many organisms do not require in order to live. However, human beings or homo sapiens require it to live.
Is it possible for animals to be phototrophs?
Yes, it is possible for animals to become phototrophs. However, genetic engineering is the only method that can do so.
What do animals require in order to be phototrophs?
They require not only chlorophyll through genetic engineering but also photosystems or electron transport chains/systems.
Do “strong bonds” have high or low levels of energy?
Strong bonds have lower levels of energy as it allows the molecule to be stable.
What is enthalpy?
It is the sum of every kind of potential and kinetic energy within the system. It also refers to the change in heat content of a system.
What does exothermic mean?
Exothermic reactions or processes refer to instances in which energy is released from the system into the surroundings.
What does endothermic mean?
Endothermic reactions or processes refer to instances in which energy is added into a system from the surroundings.
What does the 1st law of thermodynamics state?
Energy is neither created or destroyed, however it can be transformed or changed from one form to another.
It is important to always consider what two elements when studying energetics?
The system and the surrounding.
What is an open system?
An open system allows for both matter and energy to flow into and out of the system.
What is a closed system?
A closed system does not allow matter to flow into or out of the system. However, a closed system still allows for the flow of energy.
What is an isolated system?
An isolated system does not allow for either the flow of energy or matter into or out of the system.
What is ATP?
Adenosine triphosphate is a molecule that contains energy within its chemical bonds. ATP is the universal “currency” of cellular energy.
What is an autotroph?
An organism that create their own carbon from inorganic sources such carbon dioxide.
What is a heterotroph?
An organism that obtains carbon from organic sources. They generally consume other organisms.
What does metabolism mean?
It is the entire set of chemical reations that convert molecules into other moecules and trasnfer energy in living organisms.
What is catabolism?
It is the set of chemical reactions that break down molecules into smaller molecules. It releases energy.
What is anabolism?
It is the set of chemical reactions that build larger molecules from smaller molecules. It requires energy.
Why do organic molecules contain large amounts of chemical energy?
Organic moleucles consist mainly of covalent bonds in which the shared electrons are far from the atoms thus storing a large amount of chemical potential energy.
What is ATP composed of?
ATP is made of the base adenine, a five carbon sugar, ribose, and three phosphate groups, triphosphate.
Why does ATP contain large amounts of chemical energy?
The phosphate groups are negatively charged and thus they repel each other. As a result, the chemical bond stores potential energy that is released when the bonds are broken.
What is entropy?
It is the measure of disorder within a system. It is also the measure of the dispersion of energy.
What does the second law of thermodynamics state?
The transformation of energy will increase the entropy or disorder of the universe. This is because the transformation of energy is never 100% efficient, therefore some energy to do work is always lost as an increase in disorder.
What does catabolism do to the level of entropy?
It increases the entrophy of the system because the smaller molecules, which are produced from the large molecule, is more free to move.
What does anabolism do to the level of entropy?
It decreases the entropy of the system because the large molecule, created from the smaller molecules, is not as free to move.
Why do anabolic reactions, which decrease the entropy of the system, NOT violate the second law of thermodynamics?
The second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of the UNIVERSE is increased, thus anabolic reactions do not violate the law.
Do air conditioners violate the second law of thermodynamics?
No, air conditioners pump heat against their natural flow, from cold objects to hot objects. Therefore, the entropy of the universe still increases because energy is lost in order to reverse the flow of heat.
Are all bio-reactions endothermic or exothermic?
They can be either, some reactions are endothermic while others are exothermic. This is necessary in order to keep the energy of the system conserved.
Are all bio-reactions spontaneous or non-spontaneous?
They are ALL spontaneous or else we would die.
Is spontaneity determined by whether or not a reaction is endothermic or exothermic?
No, spontaneity is only determined by either the change in entropy or free energy change.
Does spontaneity relate to the rate of reaction?
No, spontaneity only means that the reaction occurs in forward motion in those conditions.
What does it mean for a reaction to be spontaneous?
It is able to macroscopically proceed forward in the real world.
If a reaction is spontaneous in one direction, is it also spontaneous in the order direction?
No, it is nonspontaneous in the other direction.
What are some conditions that determine whether or not a reaction is spontaneous?
Temperature, pressure, concentration of products and concentration of reactants.
Can a nonspontaneous reaction be changed into a spontaneous reaction?
Yes, by changing the conditions it is often possible to reverse the spontaneity of a reaction. In fact, some bio-reactions are only spontaneous at the intracellular level and nonspontaneous at standard conditions.
What determines spontaneity?
The change in entropy of a universe. (Stotal)
In order for a reaction to be spontaneous, what must be the Stotal be?
Greater than 0.
Do spontaneous reactions increase or decrease entropy?
They increase entropy.
How is Stotal calculated?
S + Ssurroundings
What are the units of entropy?
J / (mol*K) or Energy / (mol*temperature)
The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy of an isolated system always…
Increases
How is Gibb’s free energy calculated? (With Total Entropy)
G = -T*Stotal
What must Gibb’s free energy change be in order for a reaction to be spontaneous?
Less than 0.
What are the units of Gibb’s free energy change?
J / mol, kJ / mol, cal / mol, energy / mol
What is free energy change?
The amount of energy that can be freed up to do work. It is a state function that describes the maximum amount of energy within a system that can actually do work, NOT ENERGY.
All cellular reactions have _______ free energy.
Negative
What is an exergonic reaction?
A reaction in which energy to do work (free energy) is released from the system to the surroundings. G < 0
What is an endergonic reaction?
A reaction in which energy to do work (free energy) is absorbed by the system from the surroundings. G > 0
All bio-cellular reactions are ___gonic.
Exergonic
How is GIbb’s free energy calculated? (Without total entropy)
G = H - T*Ssystem
Why is H in the GIbb’s free energy calculation that does NOT involve total entropy?
The heat leaving the system (enthalpy) is dispersed into the surroundings thus accounting for the Ssurroundings.
What is G0?
It is the standard free energy change or free energy change that occrurs in standard condition.
If G0 is greater than 0, is the reaction always nonspontaneous?
Not necessarily, at standard conditions the reaction is indeed nonspontaneous, however at other conditions the reaction could potentially be spontaneous.
Is G the same as G0?
No, G represents Gibb’s free energy change whereas G0 ONLY represents free energy change at standard conditions.