Glycolysis terms Flashcards
aerobic respiration
Cellular respiration that requires oxygen (as the final electron acceptor of the electron transport chain).
ATP synthase
An enzyme complex in the inner mitochondrial membrane that couples the electrochemical proton gradient to ATP generation, forming ATP through oxidative phosphorylation.
cellular respiration
The process by which energy is released and captured from the breakdown of organic molecules, most notably glucose.
chemiosmosis
The biochemical process by which an electrochemical gradient of hydrogen ions is coupled to the production of ATP.
citric acid cycle
A cyclic process by which acetyl-CoA is completely broken down to form NADH, FADH2 and ATP.
electron transport chain
A series of protein complexes and small molecules that accept electrons from NADH and FADH2 and ultimately transfer them to molecular oxygen. Energy released in the process is used to establish an electrochemical gradient of hydrogen ions to be used for chemiosmosis.
gluconeogenesis
The synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources such as amino acids and fatty acids.
glycolysis
The biochemical process by which glucose is broken down into two molecules of the 3-carbon compound pyruvate.
kinase
An enzyme that adds a phosphate (PO43–) functional group to another molecule.
monomer
An individual molecule that can be joined to other molecules to form a larger macromolecule or polymer.
oxidative phosphorylation
The generation of ATP through the coupling of oxidation reactions in the electron transport chain and the harvesting of the energy in the electrochemical proton gradient during chemiosmosis.
pyruvate decarboxylation
The biochemical process by which a carboxyl group is removed from pyruvate and the remaining acetyl group is coupled to coenzyme A to form acetyl-CoA, which enters the citric acid cycle.
substrate-level phosphorylation
The generation of ATP by the direct transfer of a phosphate group from an intermediate molecule to ADP. Requires catalysis by kinases.
