6: Metabolism
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- 6.1: Energy and Metabolism - The Role of Energy and Metabolism
- All organisms require energy to complete tasks; metabolism is the set of the chemical reactions that release energy for cellular processes.
- 6.2: Energy and Metabolism - Types of Energy
- The various types of energy include kinetic, potential, and chemical energy.
- 6.3: Energy and Metabolism - Metabolic Pathways
- An anabolic pathway requires energy and builds molecules while a catabolic pathway produces energy and breaks down molecules.
- 6.4: Energy and Metabolism - Metabolism of Carbohydrates
- Organisms break down carbohydrates to produce energy for cellular processes, and photosynthetic plants produce carbohydrates.
- 6.5: Potential, Kinetic, Free, and Activation Energy - Free Energy
- Free energy, called Gibbs free energy (G), is usable energy or energy that is available to do work.
- 6.6: Potential, Kinetic, Free, and Activation Energy - The First Law of Thermodynamics
- The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can be transferred or transformed, but cannot be created or destroyed.
- 6.7: Potential, Kinetic, Free, and Activation Energy - The Second Law of Thermodynamics
- The second law of thermodynamics states that every energy transfer increases the entropy of the universe due to the loss of usable energy.
- 6.8: Potential, Kinetic, Free, and Activation Energy - Activation Energy
- Activation energy is the energy required for a reaction to occur, and determines its rate.
- 6.9: ATP - Adenosine Triphosphate
- Cells couple the exergonic reaction of ATP hydrolysis with endergonic reactions to harness the energy within the bonds of ATP.
- 6.10: Enzymes - Active Site and Substrate Specificity
- Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions by lowering activation energy barriers and converting substrate molecules to products.
- 6.11: Enzymes - Control of Metabolism Through Enzyme Regulation
- Cells regulate their biochemical processes by inhibiting or activating enzymes.
Thumbnail: Metabolic Metro Map. (CC BY-SA 4.0; Chakazul).