ASIM'S WEBWORLD
View:
Main

School Main

AP Biology

Chapter Guides

RELATED LINKS
Review Questions and Answers
  AP BIOLOGY:
Chapter Eight Outline

INTRODUCTION

                Bioenergetics:  How Energy Behaves in Living Systems

                Metabolism:  The Sum of All Chemical Reactions Carried Out by an Organism
                        Anabolism:  expend energy to make or transform bonds
                        Catabolism:  harvest energy when bonds broken

WHAT IS ENERGY?

                Energy:  The Ability to Do Work
                        Exists in two states
                                Kinetic energy:  energy of motion
                                Potential energy:  stored energy that has the capacity of moving
                        Living organisms transform potential energy into kinetic energy fig 8.1

                Thermodynamics:  The Study of Energy
                        Energy is readily measured by its conversion into heat
                        Unit of heat:  1000 calories = 1 kilocalorie (kcal)

OXIDATION-REDUCTION:  THE FLOW OF ENERGY IN LIVING THINGS

                Life Exists on Earth Because It Is Able to Capture Energy From the Sun
                        Energy from the sun transformed into chemical energy    fig 8.2
                        Process called photosynthesis
                                Done by plants, algae and certain bacteria
                                Combine water and carbon dioxide to make sugars
                        Energy stored in covalent bonds between sugar atoms

                Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
                        Class of reactions that pass electrons from one molecule to another
                        Oxidation:  atom or molecule loses an electron, becomes oxidized
                                Oxygen strongly attracts electrons
                                Oxygen is most common electron acceptor in biological systems
                        Reduction:  atom or molecule gains an electron and is reduced
                        Reactions occur together, electron transfers from one atom to other     fig 8.3
                        Reactions play key role in flow of energy through biological systems
                        Light adds energy and boosts electron to higher energy level
                        Transfer of electrons often accompanied by transfer of protons
                                Hydrogen atom:  proton plus electron
                                Oxidation involves removal of hydrogen atoms
                                Reduction involves addition of hydrogen atoms
                        Example:  redox reaction of photosynthesis
                                Hydrogen atoms transferred from water to carbon dioxide
                                Carbon dioxide reduced to form glucose
                                One mole of glucose stores 686 kcal of energy
                        Example:  redox reaction of cellular respiration
                                Hydrogen atoms transferred from glucose to oxygen
                                Glucose is oxidized
                                Oxidation of glucose releases 686 kcal of energy

THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS DESCRIBE HOW ENERGY CHANGES

                First Law of Thermodynamics
                        Energy can be transformed but not created or destroyed
                        Total amount of energy in the universe remains constant
                        Animals transfer food potential energy into their own chemical bonds    fig 8.4
                        Energy is not lost but may be changed into other forms
                                Converted to kinetic energy, light, electricity
                                Also dissipated as heat

                Second Law of Thermodynamics
                        All objects tend to become less ordered, disorder is increasing
                        Entropy :  measure of disorder of a system = S

FREE ENERGY

                Bonds Between Atoms Hold Molecules Together
                        Free energy:  energy available to break and form chemical bonds = G
                        Enthalpy:  energy within a cell that is available to do work = H
                        Temperature = T

                Free Energy = Ordering Influences - Disordering Influences
                        G = H - TS
                        Change in free energy:  ΔG = ΔH - TΔS
                        Negative ΔG:  Exergonic reactions
                                Products contain less free energy or more disorder than reactants
                                Reactions occur spontaneously, release excess usable free energy
                        Positive ΔG:  Endergonic Reactions
                                Products contain more free energy than the reactants
                                Reactions do not occur spontaneously, requires input of energy  fig 8.5

ACTIVATION ENERGY:  PREPARING MOLECULES FOR REACTION

                Reactions Require an Input of Energy to Get Started
                        Must break chemical bonds before new bonds can be created
                        Activation energy:  required to destabilize existing chemical bonds     fig 8.6a

                Catalysis:  Stressing Chemical Bonds Making Them Easier to Break        fig 8.6b
                        Catalyst:  substance that carries out catalysis
                        Cannot violate basic laws of thermodynamics
                        Accelerates reaction in both forward and reverse directions
                        Direction of reaction dependent on free energy

ENZYMES:  BIOLOGICAL CATALYSTS

                Enzymes:  Agents That Carry Out Catalysis in Living Organisms
                        Are generally proteins with specialized shapes
                        Permit temporary associations with the molecules that are reacting
                        Lower activation energy required for new bonds to form
                                Bring two substrates together in the correct orientation
                                Stress particular bonds of a substrate
                        Example:  formation of carbonic acid from carbon dioxide and water
                                Reaction proceeds in either direction
                                Reaction is slow because of a great activation energy
                                Carbonic anhydrase:  enzyme that speeds the reaction
                                Enzymes given the name of their substrate with the ending -ase

                Thousands of Different Enzymes Exist
                        Each enzyme catalyzes a different reaction
                        Different cells contain different complements of enzymes

                How Enzymes Work
                        Globular protein enzymes possess surface clefts called active sites     fig 8.7
                        Enzymes are specific in their choice of substrate
                        Amino acid side groups of enzyme react with substrate
                        The substrate must fit precisely into the active site
                                Induced fit:  binding may induce shape adjustments in the protein       fig 8.8
                                Substrate itself may act as activator

FACTORS AFFECTING ENZYME ACTIVITY

                Temperature             fig 8.9a
                        Disrupts hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions
                        Alters protein shape and peptide arms
                        Enzymes function best within narrow range, temperature optimum
                        Hot spring bacteria proteins have strong bonds in peptide arms

                pH
                        Hydrogen ion concentration      fig 8.9b
                        Disrupts bonds between oppositely charged amino acids
                        With more H+ ions fewer negative, more positive charges occur
                        Most enzymes have a pH optimum
                        Enzymes that function in acids retain 3-D shape when many H+ present

                Inhibitors and Activators
                        Activity dependent on presence of specific substances
                                Substances bind to enzyme and change its shape
                                When shape changes activity is altered
                                Inhibitors change shape and shut off activity
                                        Competitive inhibitors bind at same site as substrate
                                        Non-competitive inhibitors bind at different site       fig 8.10
                                Feedback inhibition:  end product inhibits reaction early in pathway
                        Allosteric site: region where non-competitive inhibitor binds
                        Allosteric inhibitor binds to allosteric site to reduce enzyme activity fig 8.10b
                        Activators bind to allosteric sites
                                Keep enzymes in active configuration
                                Increase enzyme activity

                Coenzymes and Other Cofactors
                        Cofactors
                                Additional components that aid enzyme action
                                Many metallic trace elements are cofactors
                        Coenzyme
                                Nonprotein organic molecule functions as cofactor , include vitamins
                                Serve as acceptors for electron pairs in redox reactions, shuttle energy
                        Example:  nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)      fig 8.11
                                Important biological hydrogen acceptor
                                NAD+ acquires an electron and hydrogen to become reduced NADH
                                NADH carries energy of electron and hydrogen around in cells

ATP:  THE ENERGY CURRENCY OF LIFE

                Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Is the Chief Energy Currency of All Cells

                ATP Molecule Composed of Three Subunits fig 8.12
                        Five-carbon ribose sugar serves as the backbone
                        Adenine composed of two C-N rings attaches to the ribose
                                Nitrogen has unshared electrons
                                Weakly attracts hydrogen atoms
                                Called a nitrogenous base (one of four in DNA)
                        Triphosphate group attaches to the ribose
                                Covalent bonds linking phosphates are high-energy 
                                Bonds are readily broken and energy transferred 
                        ATP 9 ADP + Pi + 7.3 kcal/mole
                                Adenosine diphosphate = ADP
                                Pi is inorganic phosphate group

                Cells Use ATP to Drive Endergonic Reactions
                        Products possess more energy than the reactants
                        Can power cell activities
                                Terminal high-energy bond is more exergonic than others
                                Activation energy is usually less than 7 kcal/mole
                        Cells contain a pool of ATP, ADP and phosphate
                                Cells do not stockpile ATP but create it as needed
                                ATP constantly recycled fig 8.13

BIOCHEMICAL PATHWAYS:  THE ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS OF METABOLISM

                Reactions in Biological Systems Occur in Sequence
                        Product of one reaction becomes substrate for another   fig 8.14
                        Organized units of metabolism
                        Location of enzymes helps map out model of pathway      fig 8.15

                How Biochemical Pathways Evolved
                        First primitive biochemical processes
                                Energy-rich molecules scavenged from the environment
                                Molecules existed in the existing organic soup
                        Catalyzed reactions were simple one-step processes
                        As energy-rich molecules were depleted only those cells that could
                        synthesize energy-rich molecules could survive
                        Energy utilizing reaction became coupled to energy-producing reaction
                        Evolution of pathways works backwards
                                Occur one step at a time
                                Final reactions generally evolve first, initial reaction evolves last

                How Biochemical Pathways Are Regulated
                        Output of pathways must be controlled 
                        Primitive organisms evolved feedback mechanisms 

                        Enzymes have secondary binding sites, bind nonsubstrate molecules
                                Binding alters shape of enzyme which changes its activity
                                Activity can be increased as well as decreased
                                Enzymes controlled in this manner are allosteric 
                        Feedback inhibition     fig 8.16
                                Second binding site binds with end product
                                Prevents enzyme activity
                                Lack of enzyme activity shuts down pathway
                                Stops production of product



 

The information contained on the chapter guide pages has been obtained from the publisher's website. They are merely reproduced here for easier access. Please contact Asim Ali if you have any questions or comments.