Biomolecular Reactions: Flashcards
What is an endothermic reaction?
A reaction in which the products have a greater chemical potential energy than the reactants
What is required to start an endothermic reaction?
The input of energy in the form of heat
What is an exothermic reaction?
A reaction where the reactants have a chemical potential energy than the products
What is required to start an exothermic reaction?
Energy must be given out in the form of heat
What is the equation for Gibbs energy ? State what each symbol means:
G = H-TS
- H is enthalpy
- T is temperature
- S is entropy
What is the change in Gibbs energy equal to?
The enthalpy change of the system minus the product of the temperature and the change in the entropy of the system
△G = △H - T△S
What is a catalyst?
A substance that increases the reaction rate without being consumed
How do catalysts work?
- Catalysts provide an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy
- Provides an alternative reaction mechanism in which the transition state is more stabilised
What is a nucleophile?
An electron-pair donor that participates in bond formation by donation of an electron pair to an electron acceptor
What is an electron acceptor?
An electrophile
What is an electrophile?
An electron-pair acceptor that participates in bond formation by accepting an electron pair from an electron donor
What is an electron donor?
A nucleophile
What is a system?
The system is simply the set of biochemical reactions and interactions we are interested in studying within a particular boundary
What are examples of a system?
The reactants and products in a reaction
What are surroundings?
Everything else that is outside the system of interest that is in contact with the boundary of the system (usually the rest of the universe).
What is a boundary?
Where the system and surroundings meet
What are the three main ways a system and its surroundings are described?
- Open
- Closed
- Isolated
Describe the energy transfer in an open system and its surroundings:
Energy and mass is transferred both ways between a system and it’s surroundings
Describe transfer between a closed system and it’s surroundings:
A transfer of energy (only) between the system and the surroundings
Describe the energy transfer between an isolated system and it’s surroundings:
There is no transfer of energy or mass between the system and surroundings
What effect does the boundary between the system and it’s surroundings have?
The boundary plays no part (does not affect or is affected by) interactions between, or behaviours of, the system and the surroundings
What is the law of conservation of energy?
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but changed from one form to another
What is the law of conservation of energy the basis of?
The First Law of Thermodynamics
What does it mean that energy can only be transferred from one form to another, and not created or destroyed?
- The total energy of an isolated system doesn’t change
- The total energy of a system and its surroundings does not change
Describe energy transfer when an object is dropped from a height:
Stored (potential) energy in the form of gravitational potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy
Why is energy transformed from potential energy to kinetic energy when an object is dropped?
The gravitational potential energy does work, upon release, to give the object kinetic energy as it falls
What are the two types of stored (potential) energy?
- Gravitational potential energy
- Chemical energy
What is chemical (potential) energy?
A type of potential energy related to chemical bonds