Energy and Metabolism Quiz

Energy and Metabolism

• Kinetic Energy: Energy of motion
  • Examples: Food, Coal, Gasoline, Wood, Electricity (electrons), Mechanical Motion, Thermal Heat
• Potential Energy: Stored energy
  • Examples:
    • Potential for chemical reactions
    • Food
    • Gasoline

Laws of Thermodynamics

• First Law: The total amount of energy in the universe is constant, it can only change forms.
• Second Law: When one form of energy is converted to another, some of the useful energy will be lost as useless energy like heat. This means no conversion is 100% efficient.

Energy Conversions

• Mitochondria in eukaryotic cells convert energy stored in organic molecules like sugars into ATP, the form of energy cells can use for work directly.

Reactions

• Endergonic Reactions: Require energy to occur, and they release energy.
• Exergonic Reactions: Do not require energy and are energetically favorable.

Catabolism and Anabolism

• Metabolism: All biochemical reactions that occur within a cell.
• Catabolism: Breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones, releasing energy.
• Anabolism: Synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones, requiring energy.
• Together, they maintain the organism's energy needs

Enzymes

• Function: Act as catalysts speeding up the rate of chemical reactions in the body.
• Factors Affecting Enzyme Activity: pH, temperature, inhibitors
  • pH: Optimal performance at a specific level, denaturation at extremes.
  • Temperature: Optimal performance at some level, denaturation at extremes.
  • Inhibitors: Disrupt binding of substrate to enzyme
    • Competitive Inhibitors: Compete with substrate for the same binding site.
    • Non-Competitive Inhibitors: Interact with the enzyme to alter the shape of enzyme, preventing substrate from binding.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

• Energy Currency of Cells: The form of energy cells can use for work directly.
• Production: From the breakdown of glucose:
  • Substrate Level Phosphorylation: 4 ATP total (2 from glycolysis, 2 from Krebs Cycle).
  • Oxidative Phosphorylation: 30-32 ATP total (3 from each NADH, 2 from each FADH₂)
• Total ATP per Glucose: 36-38 ATP

Redox Reactions

• Involve the transfer of electrons from one molecule to another, and a change in oxidation states.
• OIL RIG
  • Oxidation: Is Loss of electrons
  • Reduction: Is Gain of electrons
• Important Redox Reactions
  • Combustion: Fast and releases energy (burning gasoline, coal)
  • Corrosion: Slow and releases energy (iron reacting with oxygen, creating rust)
  • Decay: Breakdown of organic molecules (dead material)
  • Biological Processes: Essential for energy production (breaking down food, ATP creation)

Photosynthesis

• Processes that convert light energy into chemical energy.
• Reactants:
  • Sunlight
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
  • Water (H₂O)
• Products:
  • Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆)
  • Oxygen (O₂)
• Equation: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + Sunlight → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

Fermentation

• Process that allows cells to generate energy in the absence of oxygen.
• Products:
  • Lactic Acid, Ethanol
• Efficiency: Less efficient than aerobic respiration (producing approximately 2 ATP per glucose).
• Process:
  • Glycolysis
  • Reactions that regenerate NAD+ for glycolysis to continue.

Aerobic Respiration

• Cellular respiration that uses oxygen to completely oxidize glucose.
• Products:
  • Water (H₂O)
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
• Efficiency: More efficient than fermentation (producing approximately 30-32 ATP per glucose).
• Process:
  • Glycolysis
  • Transition Reaction
  • Krebs Cycle
  • Electron Transport Chain

Central Dogma of Biology

• DNA: Contains the genetic information.
• RNA: Transports genetic information from DNA to ribosomes.
• Protein: Carries out biological functions.

The Flow Of Information in the Central Dogma

• Replication: DNA makes a copy of itself (DNA to DNA).
• Transcription: DNA is used to make mRNA (DNA to RNA).
• Translation: The mRNA code is used to make proteins (RNA to Protein).

Nucleotides

• The building blocks of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).
• Structure:
  • Phosphate Group
  • Five-carbon sugar (Ribose in RNA, Deoxyribose in DNA)
  • Nitrogenous base

Nitrogenous Bases

• DNA: Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), Thymine (T)
• RNA: Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), Uracil (U)
• Base Pairing: Adenine pairs with Thymine (or Uracil in RNA), and Guanine pairs with Cytosine.

DNA vs RNA Structure

• DNA:
  • Double-stranded
  • Deoxyribose sugar
  • Thymine base
• RNA:
  • Single-stranded
  • Ribose sugar
  • Uracil base
• Both have a phosphate group and nitrogenous bases.

Genes

• Segments of DNA that code for specific proteins or functional RNA molecules.
• Located on chromosomes, which are comprised of DNA and protein.
• Important for inheritance, as they determine an organism's traits.

Test your knowledge on energy types, laws of thermodynamics, and metabolic processes. This quiz includes questions on kinetic and potential energy, mitochondrial function, and different types of biochemical reactions. Perfect for students looking to solidify their understanding of these fundamental concepts.