S5 - Unit Two Flashcards
What does the term metabolism mean?
All chemical reactions that occur within a living cell
What are metabolic pathways?
Pathways that are integrated and controlled by enzyme-catalysed reactions within a cell
What names can be given to reactions within metabolic pathways?
Catabolic or Anabolic reactions
What is the definition of a catabolic reaction?
The break down of large molecules into smaller molecules which releases energy
What is an example of a learned about catabolic reaction?
Respiration
What is the definition for an anabolic reaction?
The build up of large molecules from smaller molecules which requires energy
What is an example of a learned about anabolic reaction?
Protein synthesis
What type of steps can occur in a metabolic pathway?
- Reversible
- Irreversible
- Alternative routes
Why do metabolic pathways have different types of steps?
To allow them to be kept under precise control
What does a cell membrane consist of?
Protein pores, pumps and enzymes
What is the use of the following in a cell membrane?
- Pores
- Pumps
- Enzymes
- Used in diffusion
- Used for active transport
- Used to speed up the rate of a chemical reaction
What are metabolic pathways controlled by?
The presence of absence of particular enzymes and the regulation rate of reaction of key enzymes
What is the activation energy?
The energy required to break the bonds between reactant molecules
What do enzymes do to the activation energy?
Lower it
What is induced fit?
When the active site of an enzyme changes shape to better fit a substrate after it binds
What does affinity mean?
The chemical attraction molecules have for each other
What factors affect the rate of reaction?
The substrate concentration, temp. and concentration
What happens at a low substrate conc. to the rate of reaction and why?
It decreases as not enough substrate molecules are present to fill the active site
What happens at a high substrate conc. to the rate of reaction and why?
It increases as more active sites are filled
When does the rate of reaction when substrates bind to enzymes stop increasing?
When all the active sites have been filled
Why do we have inhibitors?
To regulate the action of a metabolic pathways enzymes
What is an inhibitor?
A substrate which decreases the rate of an enzyme controlled reaction
What types of inhibitors are there?
Non-competitive and competitive
How do competitive inhibitors affect an enzyme and its rate?
By binding to the enzymes active site due to it having a similar shape to the substrate, preventing the substrate from binding