Campbell_Biology_Ch_8_
Vocabulary
Summary_University_of_Pennsylvania
, lOMoARcPSD|52942330
Chapter 8: An Introduction to Metabolism
8.1 “An organism’s metabolism transforms matter and energy, subject to the
laws of thermodynamics”
Metabolism- the total of an organism's chemical reactions; an emergent property
of life that arises from interactions between molecules within the orderly
environment of the cell
Organization of the Chemistry of Life into Metabolic Pathways
Metabolic Pathway- begins with a specific molecule, which is then altered in a
series of defined steps, resulting in a specific product; each step of the pathway is
catalyzed by a specific enzyme
Catabolic Pathway- a metabolic process that breaks down complex molecules into
simpler compounds; example = cellular respiration because it breaks glucose into
carbon dioxide and water; the energy that is stored becomes available to do work
within the cell
Anabolic Pathway- a metabolic process that consumes energy to build complicated
molecules from simpler molecules
Bioenergetics- the study of how energy flows through living organisms
Forms of Energy
Energy- the capacity to cause change
Kinetic Energy- the relative motion of an object
Heat Energy- kinetic energy associated with random movement of atoms or
molecules