Chapter 5 Vocab Flashcards
metabolism
All the chemical reactions that occur inside living cells, including those that release and store energy.
metabolic pathways
Any of the various chains of linked events that produce key biological molecules in a cell, including important chemical building blocks like amino acids and nucleotides.
photosynthesis
the process by which organisms capture energy from the sun and use it to create sugars from carbon dioxide and water thereby transforming light energy into chemical energy stored in the covalent bonds of sugar molecules.
cellular respiration
The reciprocal process to photosynthesis, in which sugars are broken down into energy usable by the cell
anabolism
Metabolic pathways that create complex biomolecules from smaller organic compounds
catabolism
Metabolic pathways that release chemical energy in the process of breaking down complex biomolecules
Energy Carriers
A molecule that can store and deliver usable energy
ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
A small energy rich organic molecule that is used to store energy and to move it from one part of a cell to another
ADP
Adenosine diphosphate
anaerobic
not requiring oxygen
thylakoids
“Pancakes” in chloroplast
chlorophyll
A green pigment that is specialized for absorbing light energy
light independent reactions
Also called the Calvin cycle or carbon fixation. The second of two principal stages of photosynthesis, in which a series of enzyme-catalyzed chemical reactions converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into sugar, using energy delivered by ATP and electrons and hydrogen ions donated by NADPH.
Electron transport chain
An elaborate chain of chemical events in which electrons and protons (+H) are handed over to other molecules and ultimately generates ATP and NADPH
ATP synthase
The enzyme that assembles ATP
