What is bioenergetics?
Energy conversion in biological systems
- Observed in photosynthesis
What is the importance of chemical energy?
What are the different types of work?
What is osmotic work?
Maintains varying [solute] across biological membranes
- Na+/K+ pump
What is chemical work?
Biosynthesis (anabolic) and degradation (catabolic) of organic molecules
What is mechanical work?
Muscle contraction in animals
What are redox reactions?
What is reduction vs oxidation?
Reduction: gain of electrons (GER)
- Increase in number of hydrogens
- Decrease in number of bonds to oxygen
- Becomes more negative
Oxidation: loss of elections (LEO)
- Decrease in number of hydrogens
- Increase in number of oxygens
- Becomes more positive
What is a system (thermodynamics)?
Collection of matter in a defined space
What are the surroundings (thermodynamics)?
All the space not included in the system
What are the types of systems?
What is the first law of thermodynamics?
What is the second law of thermodynamics?
All spontaneous processes in the universe tend toward disorder (entropy, S) in the absence of energy input
What is exothermic vs endothermic?
What is entropy?
Measure of disorder
- Increases when there is more dispersal of energy in a system
- Ex. protein to amino acids
What is Gibbs free energy?
What is the Gibbs free energy equation for cellular conditions?
ΔG = ΔGº’ + RT(lnQ)
- If reaction is at equilibrium: ΔG’ = RT(lnQ)
What are exergonic vs endergonic reactions?
Exergonic: ΔG < 0 (negative)
- Forward reactions
- Reaction is favorable and spontaneous
Endergonic (have to put energy into system): ΔG > 0 (positive)
- Reverse reactions
- Reaction is unfavorable and nonspontaneous
What is the relationship between ΔGº and Keq?
ΔGº = -RT(lnKeq) (at equilibrium)
- Keq
- Keq > 1: favors formation of products
- Keq < 1: favors formation of reactants
- Keq = 1: neither reactants nor products are favored
What are biochemical standard conditions?
Explain coupled reactions.
What is energy charge?
Relationship between [ATP], [ADP], and [AMP] at any given time in a cell
What does a high vs low energy charge mean?
What are catabolic pathways?
Convert energy-rich compounds into energy-depleted compounds
- Low EC
- Generate ATP and reduced coenzymes (NADH, FADH2, NADPH) using stored fuels