CHAPTER 17 - ENERGY FOR BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES Flashcards
What examples of metabolic activities require energy
Active transport - (Essential for the uptake of nitrates by root hair cells, loading sucrose into sieve tube cells, selective reabsorption of glucose and amino acids in the kidney and the conduction of nerve impulses)
Anabolic Reactions - (Building of polymers such as Proteins, Polysaccharides and nucleic acids essential for growth and repair)
Movement - (brought about by cilia, flagella or the contractile filaments in muscle cells)
What are the flows of energy through living organisms
pg 460
How do plants make use of energy in glucose molecules
Photosynthesis, glucose formed,
light is trapped by chlorophyll molecules, which is used to drive the synthesis of glucose from CO2 and Water
What is Respiration
The process which organic molecules, such as glucose, are broken down into smaller into smaller inorganic molecules like carbon dioxide and water
Where is the energy stored within the bonds of organic molecules
Within the bonds of organic molecules that synthesise ATP (Adenosine triphosphate)
What are the two most important reactions in the living world
Photosynthesis (produces most of the biomass on earth) and Respiration (breakdown of the biomass to provide ATP for reactions)
What is the equation and purpose of Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O <—> C6H12O6 + 6O2
Trap energy
What is the equation and purpose of Respiration
C6H12O6 + 6O2 —–> 6CO2 +6H2O
Release energy
How is energy used in regard to bond breaking and forming
Energy is used to break bonds
Energy is released to form bonds
What is an exothermic reaction
Releasing of energy, heat to surroundings, more energy needed to form bonds than break them
What is an endothermic reaction
Takes in energy, heat to surroundings, more energy needed to break bonds than form them
Explain why it is incorrect to say that energy is produced
Energy cannot be created (or destroyed) energy is transferred
ATP is produced
Explain why ATP is not a good energy storage molecule but why organic molecules like lipids or carbohydrates are
ATP is not very stable easy to remove phosphate group
organic molecules are (more) stable
organic molecules are more energy dense
Explain the interrelationship between respiration and photosynthesis in organisms
In photosynthesis light energy is converted into chemical energy
inorganic molecules are
converted into organic molecules
water and carbon dioxide are converted to glucose (and oxygen)
Respiration uses oxygen produced in photosynthesis
organic molecules are broken
down into inorganic molecules
energy released is used to synthesise ATP
carbon dioxide
produced is used in respiration
What is broken down in respiration to form small inorganic molecules
Large organic molecules (eg. glucose)
Is respiration endo- or exothermic and why
Exothermic
Total energy required to break all of the bonds in a complex organic molecule Is less than the total energy released in the formation of all the bonds in the smaller inorganic products
What is the excess energy released during the formation of bonds in respiration used for
Synthesising ATP
What polarity of bond forms between Carbon and hydrogen
Non-polar, which means they are weak, and not a lot of energy is required to break them
Where does the extra energy required to make large molecules from small inorganic molecules in photosynthesis come from
The Sun
Why does respiration release large quantities of energy
The carbon and hydrogen released from large molecule form strong bonds with oxygen atoms, forming water and carbon dioxide - less energy needed to break bonds than form them
How is ATP produced in photosynthesis and respiration primarily synthesised
Chemiosmosis
What is Chemiosmosis
The diffusion of protons from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration through a partially permeable membrane
How does the movement of protons in chemiosmosis synthesise ATP
Movement of protons down their concentration gradient releases energy that is used in the attachment of an inorganic Phosphate (Pi) to ADP, Forming ATP
What is Chemiosmosis dependant on
The creation of a proton concentration gradient
Where does the energy needed to create a proton concentration gradient come from
High energy electrons - Excited electrons
How are Electrons raised to higher energy levels, or excited?
Electrons present in pigment molecules (eg. chlorophyll) are excited by absorbing light from the sun
High energy electrons are released when chemical bonds are broken in respiratory substrate molecules (eg. glucose)
Where do Excited electrons pass into after the have been raised to higher energy levels
Electron transport chain to generate a proton gradient
What is the electron transport chain made up of
A series of electron carriers, each with progressively lower energy levels
(pg 464)
How is a concentration difference maintained
As High energy electrons move from one carrier to another, energy is released, which is used to pump protons across a membrane
Proton gradient is maintained as the membrane is still impermeable to Hydrogen ions
(pg 464)
What is the only way Hydrogen ions (protons) can move back through the membrane
Hydrophilic membrane channels linked to the enzyme ATP synthase (catalyses formation of ATP from ADP and Pi)
(pg 464)
Explain the importance of ATP to living organisms
Universal energy currency
energy transfer is, quick/immediate
energy is in, small/usable,
quantities
(energy transfer) is quick, (energy transfer) in quantities that can be used; ATP can be
resynthesised
Describe the properties of cell membranes necessary for the formation of a proton gradient
Impermeable to, ions/protons
idea that there can be different concentrations of protons on each
side of a membrane
contains, embedded / integral, proteins
e.g., ATP synthase enzyme
responsible for synthesis of ATP
Name the type of diffusion which enables protons to move through ATP Synthase and explain the role of ATP synthase in the production of ATP
Facilitated diffusion
ATP synthase provides hydrophilic channel for diffusion of protons
catalyses the synthesis of ATP
lowers activation energy
The Synthesis and breakdown of ATP is an example of a reversible reaction
ADP + Pi <—-> ATP
ATPase is often the name given to the enzyme which hydrolyses ATP, producing ADP and Pi. ATPase and ATP Synthase are, in fact, the same enzyme. Explain how this is possible
Reversible reaction
the products formed from reaction in one direction are the
substrates of reaction in reverse direction (1);
active site is complementary to both substrates and
products
so substrates and products can bind to same active site
direction of reaction
depends on relative concentrations (of substrates/products) on either side of reaction
What are Autotrophic organisms
Organisms that can make their own food, mostly through photosynthesis
eg. plants and algae
What are Heterotrophic organisms
Organisms that obtain their food from eating other organisms
What is the equation for photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O —> C6H12O6 + 6O2
What do the network of membranes provide in a chloroplast
Large surface area (to maximise absorption of light essential to first step of photosynthesis)
Where does photosynthesis take place
Chloroplasts
What is a Thylakoid
The flattened sacs in a chloroplast
What is a Granum (pl. Grana)
Stacks of Thylakoids
What are the membraneous channels Grana are joined together by
Lamellae
Which part of the chloroplast is the pigment Chlorophyll (and other pigments) located
Embedded in thylakoid membranes