Cellular Energetics Flashcards
(38 cards)
Bioenergetics
The study of how cells carry out the processes of life
Enzymes
Proteins that help kick-start reactions and speed those reactions up
Organic Catalysts
Speed up the rate of a reaction without altering the reaction itself
Exergonic Reaction
A reaction in which the products have less energy than the reactants
Endergonic Reaction
A reaction that requires an input of energy
Activation Energy
The energy barrier in order to start a chemical reaction
Enzyme Specificity
Each enzyme is specific to a substrate and only catalyzes one reaction
Substrates
The targeted molecule in a chemical reaction (the thing the enzyme breaks down or combines together)
Active Site
Site where the substrates bind to the enzyme
Enzyme-Substrate Complex
Temporary binding of the substrate to the enzyme
Induced Fit
The enzyme has to change its shape slightly to accommodate the substrate’s shape
Coenzymes
Organic factors that assist the enzyme in catalyzing the reaction
Cofactors
Inorganic factors that assist the enzyme in catalyzing the reaction
Allosteric Sites
A region of the enzyme other than the active site to which a substance can bind
Allosteric Regulators
Can either inhibit or activate enzymes
Alllosteric Inhibitor
Will bind to the allosteric site and keep the enzyme in its inactive form
Allosteric Activator
Will bind to the allosteric site and keep the enzyme in its active form
Feedback Inhibition
The formation of an end product inhibits an earlier reaction in the sequence
Competitive Inhibition
A substance that has the same shape as the active site and competes with the substrate in order to inactivate the enzyme
Noncompetitive Inhibition
The inhibitor binds with the enzyme at another site and inactivates the enzyme by changing its shape
First Law of Thermodynamics
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Energy transfer leads to less organization
Entropy
The universes’ tendency towards disorder
Photosynthesis
Involves the transformation of solar energy into chemical energy