The roles of ATP in living cells and the mechanisms of production of ATP Flashcards
What is anabolism?
- simple molecules put together to form complex molecules
- complex molecules will then be stored as energy
- think A = Adding molecules together
What do anabolism terms end in?
- genesis
- e.g. glycogenesis (glucose to glycogen)
What is an example of anabolism?
- glycogenesis (glucose into glycogen)
What is catabolism?
- breakdown of complex molecules into simple molecules
- think C for catabolism = Cut up molecules
What is an example of catabolism?
- glycogen to pyruvate
What do all terms used to describe catabolism end in?
- lysis
what is catabolims and anabolims together referred to as?
- metabolism
When catabolic reactions something is released and captured and used later in anabolic reactions, what is this?
- adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

If organisms do not work to produce energy what will happen to them?
- they will die
What are a few examples of how energy is requried in the body?
- muscle contraction
- ions/molecules transport across membranes
- biosynthesis of essential metabolites, growth and replace damaged cells
- thermoregulation
Energy in the body, called free energy must come from somewhere, where is this?
- nutrients that we consume.
What is Gibbs Free Energy?
- thermodynamic calculation
- used to calculate the maximum reversible work that may be performed by a thermodynamic system at a constant temperature and pressure.
There are 3 parts to Gibbs Free Energy, what is enthalpy?
- the heat content of the reacting system
- referred to as H
There are 3 parts to Gibbs Free Energy, what is entropy?
- the randomness or disorder in a system
- referred to as S
There are 3 parts to Gibbs Free Energy, what is Gibbs Free Energy?
- energy capable of doing work at constant temperature and pressure
- referred to as G
In cells what does the change in enthalpy (/_H)_ relate to?
- types and numbers of chemical bonds broken and formed
In cells if the change in enthalpy (_/_H) is positive (+ve) is this an endothermic or exothermic reaction? A positive change in energy indicates that energy is required to produce something. Ball rolling down or up a slide for example:
- ball rolling down = reduced enthalpy (energy released from glucose through breaking the bonds of glucose)
- ball rolling back up = increased enthalpy (energy required to make bonds, such as glucose to glycogen)
- endothermic (anabolism = adding/building)
- energy has to be invested to make new bonds
In cells what does the change in entropy (_/_S) refer to?
- describes the formation of large complex molecules from smaller molecules or vice versa
- (e.g. DNA formation/protein formation)
In cells a postive (+ve) change in entropy (_/_S) refer to what?
- when randomness increases (i.e. breaking up a big molecule to smaller molecules)
- breaking fown glucose into ATP
What is the formula for determining change in gibbs free energy?
- _/_G = _/_H - T x _/_S
- _/_G = Change in Gibbs Free Energy
- _/_H = Change in enthalpy
- _/_S = Change in entropy
When we are looking at Gibbs Free Energy, if a random reaction is to occur, what must the _/_G (Change in Gibbs Free Energy be?
- negative (i.e. energy is released by the reaction)
- also referred to as an exergonic reaction
- catabolic reactions release energy
What is an exergonic reaction in thermodynamics?
- a chemical reaction where the change in the free energy is negative (there is a net release of free energy)
- reactants are turned into products

Following an exergonic reaction in thermodynamics, do products or reactants have more energy?
- reactants
- reactants become more stable than the reactants
- formation of product is “downhill” (spontaneous)
An example of an exergonic reaction is breaking down (burning) glucose into pyruvate, is this a anabolic or catabolic reaction?
- catabolic
- releasing energy































