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.
