Metabolism General Flashcards
(24 cards)
Metabolic Pathways
Metabolic pathways are integrated and controlled pathways of enzyme-catalysed reactions within a cell
Metabolism
The biochemical reactions of the body
What key features can metabolic pathways contain?
Reversible steps, irreversible steps and alternative routes
What two types of metabolic pathways are there?
Anabolic and Catabolic
Describe anabolic reactions
Build up large molecules from small molecules and are energy requiring
Describe catabolic reactions
Break down larger molecules into smaller molecules and are energy releasing
Give an example of an anabolic reaction
Protein synthesis
Give an example of a catabolic reaction
Respiration
State three things metabolic pathways can be controlled by
presence of particular enzymes, absence of particular enzymes, regulation of rate of reaction of key enzymes
Define metabolism
The biochemical reactions of the body
Describe enzyme induced fit
The enzymes active site changes slightly to better fit the specific substrate after the substrate binds
Will the enzyme change shape again once the substrate is released?
Yes, it will return to its original shape
Define activation energy
The energy required to carry out an enzyme reaction
What is activation energy used to do?
It is used to break bonds between chemicals
How does the presence of an enzymes active site affect the activation energy of a reaction?
The enzymes active site lowers the activation energy needed for a reaction to take place
The specific substrate molecule of an enzyme has a ____ affinity for the active site of the enzyme
High
The product(s) of an enzyme reaction has a ____ affinity for the active site of the enzyme
Low
What is affinity
Chemical attraction
What factors effect enzyme action
temperature, pH and the supply of substrate
What can enzymes do in most reactions?
Most enzymes can catalyse the reaction forward as well as backwards
In the forward reaction, the substrate concentration (the reactants) will be of a ____ concentration than the end product(s)
Higher
In a reversible reaction, the substrate concentration (the reactants) will be of a ____ concentration than the end product(s)
Lower
When does an alternative route usually occur in a metabolic pathway
When there is a plentiful supply of one metabolite in a pathway
What is a metabolite?
A substance in the pathway
