Chapter 5 Flashcards
what is the first law of thermodynamics?
energy cannot be created nor destroyed
what is the second law of thermodynamics?
entropy increases spontaneously and energy transfer is never completely efficient
what is entropy?
the measure of disorder of a system
why do cells need energy?
to do work
what is the ultimate source of energy for living organisms?
the sun
energy from the sun flows in what direction through the food chain?
sun > producers > consumers
in what form does energy escape with each energy transfer?
heat (dispersed heat is not a useful form of energy)
what does a metabolic reaction involve?
reactants, intermediates, products
what are the molecules involved with metabolism?
enzymes, energy carriers, cofactors, transport proteins
which reactions require energy/ATP?
endergonic
which reactions release energy/ATP?
exergonic
when is energy released?
when ATP gives up a phosphate group
when ATP gives up a phosphate group, it becomes ____
ADP (which has less potential energy than ATP)
what is phosphorylation?
the transfer of energy when a phosphate group is transferred to another molecule
a cell requires ____ to accumulate ATP by regenerating ADP
energy
without ____, biochemical reactions would proceed very slowly
enzymes
how do enzymes speed up reactions?
they lower the activation energy of reactions
what are the features of enzymes?
- speed up reactions, DO NOT CAUSE reactions
- are not used up in reactions
- work for both forward and backward reactions
- easily recognize and bind to certain substances
where do certain substrates bind to proceed with reactions?
active sites of enzymes (substrate-specific)
what does enzyme activity depend on?
temperature, pH, salt, allosteric regulators, coenzymes, cofactors
when do enzymes become denatures?
in extreme pH and heat
what is an allosteric site?
a region of the enzyme other than the active site; alters the enzyme shape
cofactors, or enzyme helpers, include ____ and ____
coenzymes, metal ions