Lecture 13: Energy Transformations and ATP

Question 1

What is metabolism?

Answer 1

The total sum of chemical reactions occuring in a biological system at a given time

• involve energy changes (transformations)
• can be classified as anabolic or catabolic

Question 2

Anabolism vs Catabolism

Answer 2

Anabolism: chemical reactions that go from simple to complex (amino acids to proteins) REQUIRE ENERGY

Catabolism: chemical reactions that go from complex to simple (hydrolization of proteins) RELEASE ENERGY

Question 3

Potential vs Kinetic Energy

Answer 3

Potential: the energy of state or position, stored energy (chemical bonds, concentration gradient, electric charge imbalance)

Kinetic: the energy that causes change or work (heat causes molecular motion)

Question 4

Laws of Thermodynamics

Answer 4

The first law: energy is neither created nor destroyed

The second law: disorder tends to increase

Question 5

Exergonic vs Endergonic

Answer 5

Exergonic: reactions that release free energy, if G<0 (digestion of proteins to amino acids)
Endergonic: reactions that consume free energy, if G>0 (making glycogen from glucose)