Topic 2 Part 5 - Metabolism Flashcards
What is anabolism?
(biosynthesis) is the building of new organic compounds. Anabolic reactions require an input of energy to occur and are involved in growth and reproduction.
What is catabolism?
Catabolic reactions serve to release energy from the breakdown of biological molecules. Energy is stored in the chemical bonds of organic compounds and also in inorganic compounds. The breakdown of these compounds releases energy.
You have already met some chemical processes taking place in living organisms. Can you recall them?
Growth of cells and cell division, including mitosis and meiosis.
What is a catalyst?
catalysts are substances that accelerate chemical reactions without being changed by the reaction themselves
What is enzymes?
are the biological catalysts that speed up reactions.
What type of metabolism is growth associated with?
Anabolism
What type of metabolism is body maintenance associated with?
both anabolism and catabolism
What are the series of steps both anabolic and catabolic take?
metabolic pathway
What is energy?
Energy can be defined as the ability of an object to do work.
What is chemical energy?
Energy stored in fuel which is released when chemical reactions take place
What is kinetic energy?
Energy which an object possesses by virtue of being in motion
What is electrical energy?
Energy transferred by an electrical current
What is thermal (Heat) Energy?
Energy of an object due to its tempreture
What is nuclear energy?
Energy stored in the atoms nucleus
What is solar energy?
Energy from the sun transferred through waves and light particles (Photons)
What is sound energy?
Energy transferred via sound waves
What does the law of conservation of energy state?
that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it is just transformed; however, it can be transformed or transferred from one form to another.
What is potential energy?
Energy that is stored in an object due to its position relative to some zero position
What is the most common molecule used by living thing to transfer energy called?
adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
What is ATP?
ATP is a complex chemical compound consisting of a sugar, a compound called adenine and three phosphate groups.
Summarise in about 100 words how ATP acts as an energy transfer molecule.
ATP is a chemical compound that consist of three main parts: adenine, ribose (a sugar) and three phosphate groups bonded together (or ‘triphosphate’). The bonds between the phosphate groups are high-energy bonds. Breaking the first high-energy bond in ATP releases energy and a free phosphate group, resulting in adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Creating ATP from ADP by the addition of a phosphate group requires an input of energy; conversely the breaking down (or catabolism) of ATP to ADP results in the release of a free phosphate group and energy that is used to power cellular activities. Hence, ATP can be regarded as an energy transfer or ‘storage molecule’.
Is photosynthesis a catabolic or an anabolic reaction?
Photosynthesis is an anabolic reaction because a large molecule, glucose, is made rather than broken down.
What is biosynthetic?
the production of complex molecules within living organisms or cells.
An important feature of all biosynthetic processes is that they require energy. Can you think what other common feature biosynthetic pathways have?
Biosynthetic pathway reactions are catalysed by enzymes.
How is the energy stored in glucose released?
The energy is released by the chemical breakdown of glucose in steps.
How is photosynthesis explained from a biological perspective?
The biology of photosynthesis includes the anatomy (structure) and physiology (functions or processes) of the parts of a plant (normally leaves) where photosynthesis occurs.
How is photosynthesis explained from a chemistry perspective?
The chemistry of photosynthesis includes the chemical molecules (of which chlorophyll is one) and chemical processes that do the work of conversion of light energy into chemical energy.
How is photosynthesis explained from a physics perspective?
The physics of photosynthesis includes the conversion of energy from one form to another.
The chloroplast is the site of photosynthetic reactions. Where are chloroplasts found in a plant cell?
Chloroplasts are found in the cytosol of the cell.
What does respiration mean?
means the intake and exhalation of air in animals
What is cellular respiration?
is the pathway of reactions that occurs in cells.
What is energy released from breakdown of glucose transferred as?
ATP
What is a metabolic pathway?
is a linked series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell.
The chloroplast is the site of photosynthetic reactions. Where are chloroplasts found in a plant cell?
Chloroplasts are found in the cytosol of the cell.
What is Grana?
The internal membranes folded back on themselves many times to form stacks
Glucose cannot be safely stored in cells but what can?
Starch molecules
Each granum of chloroplast houses the all-important light-absorbing chlorophyll molecules, what is generated here?
ATP is generated using energy captured from the Sun
What is oxygen used to break down in cellular respiration?
glucose in a metabolic pathway to create ATP
Why would a cell need to undertake cellular respiration?
Cellular respiration results in the production of ATP, the energy transfer molecule which is used as a fuel for all energy-requiring cellular chemical processes.
If cellular respiration is the reverse of photosynthesis, what is the word and chemical equation for this process?
Glucose + oxygen → water + carbon dioxide (and ATP)
What can the energy transformations involved in photosynthesis be summarised as?
light energy (sunlight) → chemical energy (carbohydrate) → chemical energy (ATP) → movement + biosynthesis + heat
What organism type is Photosynthesis, Autotroph or Heterotroph?
Autotroph
What organism type is Cellular respiration?
Heterotroph and autotroph
What cellular organelle does photosynthesis take place?
Chloroplast
What cellular organelle does cellular respiration take place?
Mitochrondria
What are the reactants in photosynphesis?
Carbon dioxide and water (and sunlight)
What are the reactants in cellular respiration?
Oxygen and glucose
What are the products in photosynthesis?
Glucose and water
What are the products in cellular respiration?
Carbon dioxide and water (ATP)
