Micro Ch. 6

glycolysis

converts glucose to pyruvate, the free energy released is used to form ATP -model on page 140

endergonic

if the products have more free energy than the starting compounds, the reaction requires and input of energy

Fermentation

is a metabolic process that converts sugar to acids, gases and alcohol, occurs in yeast and bacteria -seen in oxygen-starved muscle cells -takes place in the absence of oxygen,

photosynthetic

organisms harvest the energy of sunlight, using it to power the synthesis of organic compounds from carbon dioxide -convert kinetic energy of photons to potential energy of chemical bonds

enzymes

proteins that function as biological catalysts, accelerating the conversion of one substance -dependent on temperature

metabolic pathway

series of sequential chemical reactions that converts a starting compound to an ending product -allows a cell to regulate certain processes -reaction requires protein catalysts, which are the intermediates in the process = enzymes

metabolism

sum total of all chemical reactions in a cell -separated into two compounds

energy

the capacity to do work -can never be created or destroyed -only changed from one form to another

activation energy

the energy it takes to start a reaction

ADP (adenosine diphosphate)

can be viewed as an acceptor of free energy

ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

main energy currency of cells, serving as the ready and immediate donor of free energy -composed of ribose, adenine, three phosphate

chemoorganotrophs

obtain energy by degrading organic compounds, depend on metabolic activities of photosynthetic organism -energy obtained from potential energy of chemical bonds

anabolism (biosynthesis)

the set of processes that cells use to synthesize and assemble the subunits of macromolecules, using ATP for energy

catabolism

the set of processes that degrade compounds (glucose, carbohydrates), releasing their energy -cells capture that energy and use it to make ATP

exergonic

the starting compounds have more free energy than the products, energy is released in the reaction