Respiration and Metabolism Flashcards
Bioenergetics (11 cards)
What is respiration?
The process of transferring energy from the breakdown of glucose, occurring in every cell
Respiration is not simply breathing; it involves chemical reactions that transfer energy for various cellular processes.
What is the primary function of respiration?
To transfer energy that cells need to perform all living processes
This energy is crucial for activities such as movement, growth, and maintaining body temperature.
True or False: Respiration occurs only in animals.
False
Respiration occurs in all living things, including plants.
What do organisms use the energy transferred by respiration for? List three examples.
- To build larger molecules from smaller ones (e.g., proteins from amino acids)
- To allow muscles to contract in animals
- To maintain a steady body temperature in mammals and birds
What is metabolism?
All the chemical reactions in an organism
Metabolism encompasses both the building up and breaking down of molecules.
What role do enzymes play in metabolism?
Enzymes control the chemical reactions happening in cells
They act as biological catalysts, speeding up reactions without being consumed.
Fill in the blank: The sum of all reactions that happen in a cell or the body is called _______.
metabolism
What are some examples of larger molecules formed from smaller ones in metabolism?
- Starch (from glucose molecules)
- Glycogen (a storage molecule in animal cells)
- Cellulose (a component of plant cell walls)
- Lipid molecules (from glycerol and fatty acids)
- Proteins (from amino acids)
What happens to glucose during respiration?
It is broken down to transfer energy
This process powers all reactions in the body that create necessary molecules.
What is produced when excess protein is broken down?
Urea
Urea is excreted in urine as a waste product of protein metabolism.
True or False: Respiration is an exothermic process.
True
Respiration releases energy into the environment.
