Metabolism and Free Energy Metabolism sum total of a highly organized and regulated cellular activity involving enzymes.

. Dual Function of Metabolism: 1. To obtain chemical energy by degrading or oxidizing high energy metabolites or by capturing energy from the sun. This function employs catabolism. 2. To synthesize macromolecules or break down macromolecules to produce small precursor molecules and use them for the synthesis of other macromolecules. This function employs both catabolism and anabolism. They are considered as non-reversible reactions. Gibbs Free Energy: G = H TS where T is absolute temperature in K. Free Energy changes in systems at constant temp and pressure: G = H - TS -G = exergonic, spontaneous, favorable cellular processes, occur only if there is loss in energy, or increased entropy +G = endergonic, non-spontaneous, not favorable cellular processes Catabolism increase in entropy Anabolism decrease in disorder, happens when cells take in food stuff. *A highly ordered system which is the cell defies the Second Law of Thermodynamics which says that matter tends to go toward positive entropy or disorder. *Cell is a part of a system that includes its environment, which cannot be isolated from it. The more organized and ordered the cell is the environment becomes more disordered. *Overall entropy of the system: positive *Enthalpy and G: negative Two basic needs for survival of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells: 1. Carbon source - can either be complex molecules w/c are broken down to provide energy or precursor of molecules needed to synthesize the more complex storage and structural components of the cell. 2. Energy needed to initiate catabolic reactions or allow anabolic reactions to proceed. Carbon Sources - may either be carbon dioxide or more complex molecules such as glucose. - Autotrophs organisms that use carbon dioxide as source of carbon - Carbon dioxide - precursor from w/c they synthesize all carbon-containing molecules needed by the cell. - Heterotrophs organisms that use the more complex molecules as source of carbon. - Glucose - carbon source of most heterotrophs; main metabolite w/c provides energy in both heterotrophic prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

In animals, glucose can be obtained from such sources as 1. diet 2. breakdown of glucose stores, mainly glycogen 3. gluconeogenesis or by synthesizing glucose from non carbohydrate sources such as lactate and keto acids of amino acids. Energy Sources: Autotrophs obtain energy from the sun and convert light energy to chemical energy. Heterotrophs obtain energy from the breakdown of organic substances such as glucose or fats. ATP unit of energy used in cells. (1 ATP = 7.3 kcals of energy) - most abundant storage form of energy that is most readily obtainable

*Cleavage of 2 high energy phosphate bonds will release twice the amount of energy and is equivalent to 2 ATP units.
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ATP structure
The structure of this molecule consists of a purine base (adenine) attached to the 1' carbon atom of a pentose (ribose). Three phosphate groups are attached at the 5' carbon atom of the pentose sugar. *ATP hydrolysis results in a free energy equivalent to -7.3 kcal/mole. (highly exergonic) *The reverse reaction is thus endergonic, G is positive, non-spontaneous. This reverse reaction is the formation of ATP from ADP. Two important mechanisms are employed by cells in synthesizing ATP: 1. Substrate-level phosphorylation involves coupling ATP synthesis with hydrolysis of compounds with a higher -G of hydrolysis. 2. Oxidative phosphorylation involves coupling ATP synthesis with the oxidation reaction of reduced compounds. Ex: NADH, FADH2, etc.

First Year/ First Semester / Bioenergetics - Metabolism & Free Eenergy

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