Ch 6 - Ch 8 Flashcards
bioluminescence
convert energy into light
metabolism
totality of an organism’s chemical reactions
metabolism (life)
an emergent property of life that arises from interactions between molecules within the cell
metabolic pathway
begins with a specific molecule and ends with a product; each step is catalyzed by an enzyme
catabolic pathways
release energy by breaking down complex molecules into smaller compounds
(ex: cellular respiration = breakdown of glucose in the Prescence of oxygen)
anabolic pathway
consume energy to build complex molecules from simpler ones
(ex: synthesis of proteins from amino acids is an example)
bioenergetics
study of how organisms manage their energy resources
energy
the capacity to cause change
kinetic energy
energy associated with motion
heat (thermal energy)
kinetic energy associated with random movement of atoms or molecules
potential energy
energy that matter possesses because of its location or structure
chemical energy
potential energy available for release in a chemical reaction
thermodynamics
study of energy transformations
closed system
is isolated from its surrounding (such as that approximated by liquid in a thermos)
open system
energy and matter can be transferred between the system and its surroundings
(organisms are open systems)
1st law of thermodynamics
- the energy of the universe is constant
- energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but it can be transferred and transformed
- principle of conservation of energy
2nd law of thermodynamics
- during every transfer or transformation, some energy is unusable and is often lost as heat
- every energy transfer or transformation increases entropy (disorder or randomness) of the universe
