Metabolic Pathways

Question 1

What is a Metabolic Pathway?

Answer 1

Metabolism can be defined as all the chemical reactions that occur within the human body. Metabolic pathways involve the BUILDING UP and BREAKING DOWN of molecules

Question 2

Anabolic Pathways

Answer 2

These REQUIRE ENERGY and involve building up processes
e.g building up of amino acids to form proteins

Question 3

Catabolic Pathways

Answer 3

These RELEASE ENERGY and involve the breakdown of molecules
e.e breaking down of glue in glycolysis

Question 4

Are Anabolic and Catabolic pathways reversible?

Answer 4

they have irreversible and reversible steps and alterative routes

Question 5

Activation Energy

Answer 5

The energy needed to break chemical bonds in the reactant is called the activation energy.

Question 6

What does a Catalyst do?

Answer 6

-Lowers the activation energy required for a chemical reaction to proceed
-Speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction
-Takes part in the reaction but remains unchanged at the end of it

Question 7

What does an Enzyme do?

Answer 7

(An enzyme is a biological catalyst)
-Lowers the activation energy required by the reactants to form the transition state
-Speeds up the rate of the reaction
-Made of protein

Question 8

Enzyme Specificity

Answer 8

An enzyme contains an active site which contains a specific shape. An enzyme only acts on one substrate.

Question 9

What has a high affinity for active site?

Answer 9

Substrate

Question 9

What has a low affinity for active site?

Answer 9

Products

Question 10

What does induced fit ensure?

Answer 10

This ensures that the active site comes into very close contact with the molecules of substrate and increases the chance of the reaction taking place

Question 11

Induced Fit

Answer 11

This occurs when the active site changes shape to better fit the substrate after the substrate binds

Question 12

To function efficiently an enzyme requires a suitable?

Answer 12

-Tempteture
-pH
-Substrate concentration
-Enzyme concentration

Question 13

How does the Substrate concentration effect enzyme activity

Answer 13

As substrate concentration increases, the rate of reaction increases and then the rate of reaction remains constant as the active site are all occupied because of the enzyme concentration is the limiting factor

Question 14

Metabolic pathways can be controlled by:

Answer 14

-Presence of an enzyme
-Absence of an enzyme
-Key enzymes regulating the rate of reaction within a metabolic pathway