Metabolism
Functions of Metabolism
Energy is Required to Meet Three Fundamental Needs
Basic Principles Govern Energy Manipulation in all Cells
Metabolic Pathways
Linear Metabolic Pathways
In order to construct a metabolic pathway, two criteria must be met:
Branched Metabolic Pathways
Circular Metabolic Pathways
i.e. The Citric Acid Cycle
Metabolism is Composed of Many Interconnecting Reactions
Metabolic Pathways can be divided into two types
Principles of Bioenergetics
Thermodynamic Laws
First Law: in any physical or chemical change the total amount of energy in the universe remains constant
Second Law: the amount of entropy (total disorder) in the environment increases as a result of all chemical or physical changes
Free Energy (G)
Heat Energy (H)
Entropy (S)
Relationship between the different energy terms
△G = △H - T△S
- T is the absolute temperature on Kelvin scale (273 + C°)
Free Energy Change and Chemical Reactions
△G°’ = -RTln(Keq)
- △G°’ is the standard free energy change
- R is the Gas constant (8.315 J/mol)
- T is the Kelvin temperature (273 + C°)
- ln is 2.3 log
- Keq is the equilibrium constant
This reaction can also be written as: △G°’ = 2.3 RT log (Keq)
- △G Free Energy Change
- △G° Standard Free Energy Change at 1M initial concentration [ ] and 1 atm pressure 101.3 Kpa
- △G°’ Standard Free Energy Change at pH 7.0
- K’eq = 1 (△G°’ = 0 reaction at equilibrium)
- K’eq < 1 (△G°’ = +, favours reverse reaction)
- K’eq > 1 (△G°’ = -, favours forward reaction/ spontaneous reaction)
Standard Free Energy Changes are Additive
Reaction 1: △G1°’ = 13.8 kJ/mol (not spontaneous)
Reaction 2: △G2°’ = -30.5 kJ/mol (spontaneous)
Overall △G°’ = △G1°’ + △G2°’ = -16.7 kJ/mol
- A thermodynamically unfavourable reaction in a pathway can be made to occur by coupling it to a more favourable reaction
Actual Free Energy
ATP is The Universal Currency of Free Energy
ATP Hydrolysis is Exergonic
ATP has a high phosphoryl-transfer potential because of three key factors
Biological Oxidation and Reduction Reactions