Term | Definition |
Second law of Thermodynamics | The amount of disorder (entropy) in a system tends to increase, always tending toward less usable energy, or energy that can do useful work |
ATP Adenosine Triphosphate | Energy storage compound in cells; composed of a sugar adenosine and 3 phosphate groups |
Celluar Respiration | The process by which the cell converts a food fuel such as glucose into ATP in the presence of oxygen |
Kinetic Energy | The energy of motion, which is related directly to speed of that motion |
Cilium | A microscopic hair; plural is cilia; cilia are attached to certain kinds of cells that line certain body passageways |
Entropy | Measure of the unusable or unavailable energy in a system; also the measure of the disorder in a system |
Free Energy | Usable energy in a chemical system: energy available for producing change |
Potential Energy | The energy stored by matter as a result of its location or position |
Glycolysis | A series of reactions in which a molecule of glucose is broken down to produce a new gain of two ATP molecules. |
Coenzymes or Cofactors | Additional molecules that are required before an enzyme will catalyze a reaction; many are from vitamins and each can be reused repeatedly. |
NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) | A coenzyme present in all cells and is required in a cellular respiration |
FAD (Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide) | A coenzyme present in all cells and is required in a cellular respiration |
Coenzyme A (CoA) | A coenzyme present in all cells and is required in a cellular respiration |
Respectively | Referencing a series of items in the order listed |
PGAL (PhosphoGylcerALdehyde) | An intermediate molecule formed in the process of glycolysis |
Pyruvic Acid | The end-product molecule of glycolysis |
Anaerobic step | A reaction step that requires no oxygen for completion |
Fermentation | Regeneration of NAD+ to keep glycolysis running in the absence of oxygen |
Cristae | The inner, infolded membrane of a mitochondrion that houses the third stage of respiration; increases the surface area within the mitochondrial matrix; enables the cell to produce larger amounts of energy |
Mitochondrial matrix | The compartment of the mitochondrion enclosed by the inner membrane; contains enzymes and substrates for the Krebs Cycle |
Krebs Cycle or Citric Acid Cycle | A series of reactions in which the chemical bonds in pyruvic acid are broken to produce one molecule of ATP and five, high energy electrons |
Oxaloacetic Acid | A 4-carbon intermediate compound in the Krebs Cycle which, when combined with acetyle CoA, initiates the Krebs Cycle |
Citric Acid | The 6-carbon intermediate compound in the Krebs Cycle (or Citric Acid Cycle) |