Metabolism Flashcards
What are coupled reactions in pathways + their advantage?
They make reactions that wouldn’t occur spontaneously occur. Example, redox reactions are coupled (energy released from oxidation needs to be used in reduction)
What are 3 purposes organisms need energy for?
mechanical work (muscles and movement), active transport (of molecules into the cell), synthesis of macromolecules and other biomolecules from building blocks.
the energy is obtained, mostly from glucose and fats, for the oxidation of carbon fuels.
Catabolic vs anabolic
Catabolic is breaking down which releases energy (ATP).
Anabolism is synthesis which requires ATP.
How does ATP transfer energy from molecules?
It collects phosphate from high energy molecules and can transfer it to another molecule thus transferring energy.
Which one has more energy:
a) fully oxidized
b) fully reduced
fully reduced = MOST energy (fully saturated)
fully oxidized = LEAST energy (no hydrogen)
What is the role of activated carriers in cellular metabolism?
Also give an example
- They carry either an electron or activated carbon
- without them rxns would NOT occur
- E.g, ATP is an activated carrier of phosphoryl groups
- E.g, NAD+, FAD+ and NAPD+ are all activated electron carriers
Describe the three major ways of regulating metabolism.
- Amount of enzyme is controlled:
- this depends on the rate of synthesis and degradation
- it’s altered by changing the rate of transcription - ## Catalytic activity is regulated:
- Accessibility to substrates:
- if an organism does NOT have access to substrate then that pathway will not be activated
Why is important to have regulation of metabolism?
Keeps everything in balance.
Nutrient levels must be monitored and pathways adjusted to maintain homeostasis.
Metabolism must be able to adjust to changes in environment.
Lack of regulation = disease
