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Biology IB HL - 8.1 Metabolism Part 1
This flashcard deck covers key concepts of metabolism, including metabolic pathways, enzyme functions, and reaction types. It is designed to help students understand the fundamental processes that maintain life in organisms.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism describes the sum total of all reactions that occur within an organism in order to maintain life
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
What is metabolism?
Metabolism describes the sum total of all reactions that occur within an organism in order to maintain life
What do most chemical reactions result in?
Most chemical changes in a cell result from a series of reactions (pathways), with each step controlled by a specific enzyme
What is the general role of metabolic pathways?
Metabolic pathways allow for a greater level of regulation, as the chemical change is controlled by numerous intermediates
How are metabolic pathways usually organised?
Metabolic pathways are typically organised into chains or cycles of enzyme-catalysed reactions
What are examples of metabolic pathways in the form of chains?
Examples of chains: Glycolysis (in cell respiration), coagulation cascade (in blood clotting)
What are examples of metabolic pathways in the form of cycles?
Examples of cycles: Krebs cycle (in cell respiration), Calvin cycle (in photosynthesis)
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What is metabolism? | Metabolism describes the sum total of all reactions that occur within an organism in order to maintain life |
What do most chemical reactions result in? | Most chemical changes in a cell result from a series of reactions (pathways), with each step controlled by a specific enzyme |
What is the general role of metabolic pathways? | Metabolic pathways allow for a greater level of regulation, as the chemical change is controlled by numerous intermediates |
How are metabolic pathways usually organised? | Metabolic pathways are typically organised into chains or cycles of enzyme-catalysed reactions |
What are examples of metabolic pathways in the form of chains? | Examples of chains: Glycolysis (in cell respiration), coagulation cascade (in blood clotting) |
What are examples of metabolic pathways in the form of cycles? | Examples of cycles: Krebs cycle (in cell respiration), Calvin cycle (in photosynthesis) |
What is the activation energy? | Every chemical reaction requires a certain amount of energy in order to proceed – this is the activation energy (EA) |
How do enzymes speed up the rate of reaction? | Enzymes speed up the rate of a biochemical reaction by lowering the activation energy |
What happens to the substrate when an enzyme binds to it? | When an enzyme binds to a substrate it stresses and destabilises the bonds in the substrate |
In specific terms, how is the activation energy of an enzyme-substrate reaction lowered? | This reduces the overall energy level of the substrate’s transitionary state, meaning less energy is needed to convert it into a product and the reaction proceeds at a faster rate |
What does it mean if an enzymatic reaction is exergonic? | If the reactants contain more energy than the products, the free energy is released into the system (exergonic) |
What are examples of exergonic reactions? | These reactions are usually catabolic (breaking down), as energy is released from broken bonds within a molecule |
What does it mean if a reaction is endergonic? | If the reactants contain less energy than the products, free energy is lost to the system (endergonic) |
What are examples of endergonic reactions? | These reactions are usually anabolic (building up), as energy is required to synthesise bonds between molecules |
What is an enzyme inhibitor? (general definition) | An enzyme inhibitor is a molecule that disrupts the normal reaction pathway between an enzyme and a substrate |
What types of enzyme inhibitors can there be? | Enzyme inhibitors can be either competitive or non-competitive depending on their mechanism of action |
What do enzyme inhibitors prevent? | Enzyme inhibitors prevent the formation of an enzyme-substrate complex and hence prevent the formation of product |
Is enzyme inhibition temporary/permanent? | BOTH
Inhibition of enzymes may be either reversible or irreversible depending on the specific effect of the inhibitor being used |
What is the first step of a normal enzyme reaction? | In a normal reaction, a substrate binds to an enzyme (via the active site) to form an enzyme-substrate complex |
What causes an enzyme to bind to a particular substrate? | The shape and properties of the substrate and active site are complementary, resulting in enzyme-substrate specificity |