Final exam definitions Flashcards
Active transport
-Movement of particles from lower to higher concentration using energy from ATP that has been created during respiration.
-Movement is through carrier proteins.
Amphipathic
A molecule that is partly hydrophilic and partly hydrophobic.
Autotrophic
An organism that synthesizes its organic molecules from simple inorganic substances.
Bilayer
Two rows of phospholipids, with the fatty acids pointing towards each other and the phosphates on the outside.
Cell cycle
Cells arise by the division of existing cells, grow, and then divide.
Cell respiration
The controlled release of energy from organic compounds to produce ATP.
Chemiosmosis
The process by which the synthesis of ATP is coupled to electron transport via the movement of protons.
Cytokinesis
Division of the cytoplasm.
Deamination
The removal of NH2 from an amino acid.
Decarboxylation
Chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide.
Activation energy
The energy required by a substrate molecule before it can undergo a chemical change.
Active site
A region of an enzyme molecule where the substrate molecule binds.
Adhesion
The force by which individual molecules stick to surrounding materials and surfaces.
Anabolism
The synthesis of complex molecules from simpler molecules, including the formation of macromolecules from monomers by condensation reactions.
Catabolism
The breakdown of complex molecules into simpler molecules, including the hydrolysis of macromolecules into monomers.
Catalyst
A substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction. Catalysts are effective in small amounts and remain unchanged at the end of the reaction.
Cohesion
The force by which individual molecules stick together.
Competitive inhibitor
A substance that binds to the active site, slowing down or blocking enzyme action.
Condensation
A reaction in which two molecules combine to form a larger molecule, producing water as a by-product.
Denatured
When a protein loses its three-dimentional shape.
End-product inhibition
When the product of the last reaction in a metabolic pathway inhibits the enzyme that catalyses the first reaction of the pathway.
Enzyme
A biological catalyst made of protein.
Enzyme inhibitor
A substance which slows or blocks enzyme action.
Hydrolysis
A chemical process in which a molecule of water is added to a substance, splitting it into smaller subunits.