Review Questions - Chapter 6 (KEY)

Ground Rules of Metabolism

1. ___Metabolism_______ is the controlled capacity to acquire and use energy for
stockpiling, breaking apart, building, and eliminating substances in ways that
contribute to survival and reproduction.
2. Define energy; be able to state the first and second laws of thermodynamics.
Potential energy is the capacity to make things happen,
to do work.; it can also be called chemical
energy, measured in kilocalories.
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion; it includes heat
energy.

First law of thermodynamics states that the total

amount of energy in the universe is constant; it
cannot be created nor destroyed; it can only
change form.

Second law of thermodynamics states that the

spontaneous direction of energy flow is from
high- to low-quality forms.

3. ____Entropy______ is a measure of the degree of randomness or disorder of

systems.
4. Explain how the world of life maintains a high degree of organization.
The world of life (plant and animal)
maintains a high degree of organization only
because it is being re-supplied with energy
from the sun.
5. Reactions that show a net loss in energy are said to be __exothermic
(exergonic)_______; reactions that show a net gain in energy are said to be
__endothermic (endergonic)________.
6. ATP is composed of __ribose________, a five-carbon sugar, three
__phosphate________ groups, and __adenine________, a nitrogen-
containing compound.
7. Adding a phosphate to a molecule is called __phosphorylation________.
8. Explain what a gradient is in general; then describe (a) concentration gradients, (b)
pressure gradients, and (c) electric gradients.
A. What Is a Concentration Gradient?
 1. Concentration refers to the number of molecules
(or ions) of a substance in a given volume of
fluid.
2. The thermal energy of the molecules drives the
movement of molecules.
a. Molecules constantly collide and tend to
move down a concentration gradient (high
to low).
b. The net movement of like molecules down a
concentration gradient is called diffusion;
each substance diffuses independently of
other substances present as illustrated by
dye molecules in water.

B. What Determines Diffusion Rates?

1. Several factors influence the rate and direction
of diffusion: concentration differences,
temperature (higher = faster), molecular size
(smaller = faster), electric gradients (a difference
in charge), and pressure gradients.
2. When gradients no longer exist, there is no net
movement (dynamic equilibrium).

Explain the functioning of the ATP/ADP cycle.

ATP Couples Energy Inputs With Outputs
1. ATP is composed of adenine, ribose, and three
phosphate groups.
a. Energy input links phosphate to ADP to
produce ATP (phosphorylation).
b. ATP can in turn donate a phosphate group to
another molecule, which then becomes primed
and energized for specific reactions.
2. ATP's role is like currency in an economy:
earning ATP during exergonic reactions and
spending it during endergonic ones.
3. ADP can be recycled to ATP very rapidly in the
ATP/ADP cycle.
C. Some Electron Transfers Drive ATP Formation
1. Electrons are transferred in nearly every reaction
that harnesses energy for use in the formation of
ATP.
10. ATP directly or indirectly delivers __energy________ to almost all biosynthetic
pathways.
11. Give the function of each of the following participants in metabolic pathways:
reactants, intermediates, enzymes, cofactors, and end products.

1.Reactants are substances that enter

reactions.
2. Intermediates are the compounds formed
between the start and the end of a pathway.
3. Products are the substances present at the
conclusion of a pathway.

4. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze (speed

up) reactions.

5. Cofactors are small molecules and metal

ions that help enzymes by carrying atoms or
electrons.

6. End products are the final compound(s) that

is(are) formed in a metabolic pathway.

12. Cite one example of a coenzyme.

Coenzymes are large organic molecules such as NAD+, FAD,

and NADP+.

13. What is the function of metabolic pathways in cellular chemistry?

Metabolic pathways form series of reactions that regulate
the concentration of substances within cells by enzyme-
mediated linear and circular sequences.

14. Explain the effects of enzymes on activation energy.

Enzymes are catalytic molecules that alter the rate of a

chemical reaction by lowering a reaction’s activation
energy.
15. Describe the induced-fit model.
Inducing changes in enzyme shape (induced-fit model), can
regulate an enzymatic reaction. Sometimes a substrate
does not quite fit the enzyme’s active site. The enzyme can
still bind to the substrate and as it does, the enzyme causes
(induces) bonds to be stretched or, otherwise altered, such
that the substrate now fits the active site and the reaction
can proceed.

16. Describe the control mechanism known as feedback inhibition.

Allosteric enzymes have (in addition to active sites)
regulatory sites where control substances can bind to alter
enzyme activity; if this control substance is the
end product in the enzyme’s metabolic pathway,
feedback inhibition occurs.

17. What are "allosteric enzymes," and what is their function?

Allosteric enzymes have (in addition to active sites)
regulatory sites where control substances can bind to alter
enzyme activity. This is a control mechanism for how many
enzyme molecules are available for a particular reaction.

18. Explain what happens to enzymes if temperature and pH continually increase.

Because enzymes operate best within defined

temperature ranges, high temperatures decrease
reaction rate by disrupting the bonds that
maintain three-dimensional shape
(denaturation occurs).
Most enzymes function best at a pH near 7
(pepsin in the stomach is an exception); higher or
lower values disrupt enzyme shape
(denaturation occurs).
and halt function.
19. Distinguish diffusion from osmosis, and active transport from passive transport.

Refer to chapter 5 Review Questions (KEY)

20. Describe and contrast exocytosis and endocytosis. Explain the role of vesicle
formation in both processes.

Refer to chapter 5 Review Questions (KEY)

21. Describe phagocytosis and describe the kind of phagocytosis that occurs in your
body.

Refer to chapter 5 Review Questions (KEY)

22. Water tends to diffuse from (select one) __ hypertonic __ hypotonic solutions to
(select one) __ hypertonic __ hypotonic solutions.