Metabolism Flashcards
Define metabolism
Metabolism is from Greek and means change. It is the process of how all living conjure energy and transform it to something tangible.
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All living things must have a mechanism to acquire energy from. If not it’s not dead. Generally speaking there are two classes and a lot of subclasses and inbetweens.
Autotrophs can be defined as the producers because they make their own food through raw materials and energy.
Heterotrophs are known as the consumers and are dependent on chains formed by other organisms.
What are trophic levels and how are they related to the food chain
In all food chain there are three trophic levels.
The first trophic level is always occupied by the producers, thereafter the second level is occupied by the herbivores, then on the third level we got the carnivores. It usually ends at level 4 or 5 containing the apex predators.
Metabolism got two central parts, katabolism and anabolism. Define them
Katabolism is change brought breaking down things, like food breaking down in our stomach.
Anabolism is change brought through building up things, like the same food which is broken down gets absorbed and used as energy.
What are an energy carrier?
An energy carrier is a material we can directly use as energy. Like ATP, NADH and FADH. NADH and FADH is key for respiration.
Define an enzyme
An enzyme is a protein that oversee and interfere with reactions and speed up the process. They are also called biological catalysts, a catalyst is something that affects the reaction speed without self getting changed and used up by the process.
Which are some ways that reaction speed be altered?
- Increase concentration of the reactants reacting. This way increases the possibility of them interacting and reacting.
- Increasing temperature. Increased temperature means increased movement in the reactants.
- Adding a catalyst.
- Pressure. More pressure means that the reactants are forced more closely together.
What is an exotherm reaction?
A exotherm reaction is a reaction where energy gets distributed to the environment.
What is a endothermic reaction?
A endothermic reaction is a reaction that takes energy from the environment.
The chemical reaction:
Reactant + reactant = product is the standard equation. how does it look when an enzyme is involved?
Enzyme + substrate (reactant) -> enzyme-substrate complex -> product + enzyme F.ex. Sucrose + water + sucrase (ase) -> Enzyme-substrate complex -> Glucose + fructose + sucrase
Why does enzymes bring down activation energy and what is it?
Activation energy is the required energy for a reaction to happen.
Why does enzymes decrease activation energy for chemical reactions?
Emilie Fischer said that substrate and enzyme fits like a key in a lock.
Meaning
The enzymes are specially made for specific substrates. This involves in shape, and substances. Like carrying oxygen you need a haemoglobin molecule. They have a specific seat for the specific molecule, there can be multiple seats, when it comes to interaction these active seats can bring two substrates closer together and meet, and then the enzyme can also enhance that connection.
Name three factors in the environment that has substantial influence over the activity of enzymes
Enzymes like species of the earth have a wide area of specialities. Some thrive in the cold and some in the warm. Some in the sour and some in the bases. If there’s more of them or more of it.
- pH-levels. Enzymes are very specific and therefore also is very sensitive to pH. The level where the enzyme is most suited to be and do it’s job is the enzymes pH-optimum.
- Temperature. Like pH-optimum there is also a temperature-optimum. If the degree is too warm or too cold for the enzyme/s then they will denature.
- The amount of substrate and enzyme. If either is added the faster the speed. Except if it’s too much of the substrate, dounk.
What are a denatured protein?
A denatured protein is a protein that has been exposed to energy at such a high level it’s original structure has been destroyed, usually resulting in loss of tertiary structure.
In a few cases it can obtain its former self, this is called denatured protein.
How do you name a protein?
All proteins gets -ase at the end.
Proteins gets named firstly after the substrate they have, then after the reaction they catalyst.
Define some main enzyme groups.
- Oxireductase. Oxidises or reduce organic substances. Some of these enzymes are de most important one in cell respiration.
- Transferases. Group of enzymes that transport one substance to another. A big part of the transferases is the kinases, these transport phosphate groups, like heksokinase which is important in glycolyses.
- hydrolases. Enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of chemical bonds in bio molecules. Making big molecules to smaller using water. Like the peptidases, lipases, and glykoxidases.
- Lyase. Catalyses the breakdown of covalent bonds. A key enzyme group here is the decarboxylacidases, these remove CO2 from carboxylacid groups, like pyrovatdehydrogenases in cell respiration.
- Isomeraser. These catalyst changes in a molecule that makes it into its isomer shape.
- Ligases. These catalyse production of covalent bonds. It takes energy in form of ATP. An important enzyme is DNA-ligase that glues the Okazaki fragments together.
