Term | Definition |
embryo | an unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development |
differentiation | the process by which cells become specialized |
stem cells | the unspecialized cells from which differentiated cells develop |
totipotent | able to do everything, as far as forming all tissues in the body |
blastocyst | a hollow ball of cells with a cluster of cells inside |
pluripotent | capable of developing into many, but not all, of the body's cell types |
embryonic stem cells | found in the inner cells mass of the early embryo |
multipotent | can produce many types of differentiated cells |
harvesting | gathering stem cells from an embryo |
catalyst | a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change |
enzymes | protein acting as biological catalysts that speed up the chemical reactions of the cell |
activation energy | the energy required to start a reaction |
substrate | the substance acted upon by an enzyme |
active sites | places on enzymes to which a specific substrate binds |
denature | the breaking of many of the weak linkages, or bonds
(e.g., hydrogen bonds), within a protein molecule |
catalase | an enzyme found in potatoes that catalyzes the oxidation of a particular substrate by hydrogen peroxide |
peroxidase | an enzyme found in turnips that catalyzes the oxidation of a particular substrate by hydrogen peroxide |
protease | breaks down proteins |
lipase | breaks down lipids |
catabolism | breakdown of complex molecules into two simpler molecules |
anabolism | use of enzymes to build complex molecules from simpler molecules |
enzyme specificity | the compatibility of the shape of the active site and the shape of the enzyme |
noncompetitive inhibition | occurs when another part of the enzymes bonds with a molecule that is not the substrate and the bonding occurs at a second site, called the allosteric site |
competitive inhibition | occurs when a substance binds to the active site of an enzyme and prohibits normal substrate interaction |