Learning Outcomes in Listing:
i. Define metabolism and its two sub-categories: catabolism and anabolism.
ii. Understand the concepts of substrates, active sites, and products in enzymatic reactions.
iii. Identify different types of enzymes and their roles in metabolism.
Summary of Lesson:
Metabolism encompasses all chemical reactions that are vital for an organism's growth, reproduction, and maintenance of structures. This lesson delves into the metabolic pathways, highlighting the roles of catabolism and anabolism. It also introduces enzymes, the biological catalysts that speed up these reactions, and explains the interaction between enzymes, substrates, and the resulting products.
i. Metabolism: The Sum of Life's Reactions: Metabolism is a collection of chemical reactions that occur in a living organism to maintain life. It's broadly divided into catabolism and anabolism.
ii. Catabolism: Breaking Down Molecules: Catabolic pathways involve the breakdown of larger molecules into smaller units, releasing energy that the cell can use. Example: The process of digestion where complex food molecules are broken down into simpler substances.
iii. Anabolism: Building Up Molecules: Anabolic pathways are the opposite of catabolic pathways; they require energy to build complex molecules from simpler ones. Example: The synthesis of proteins from amino acids.
iv. Enzymes: Nature's Catalysts
Enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed in the process. They have specific active sites where substrates bind and are converted into products.
Types of enzymes include hydrolases that catalyze hydrolysis reactions, isomerases that rearrange the structure of molecules, and polymerases that form long chains of molecules like DNA and RNA.
List of Important Questions for Self-Study:
i. What is the difference between catabolism and anabolism?
ii. How do enzymes work to facilitate metabolic reactions?
iii. Why are enzymes specific to particular substrates?
iv. What could happen if an enzyme's active site is altered?
v. How do catabolic and anabolic pathways interact in a cell?
Important Terminologies Used in Lesson:
Metabolism: The chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life.
Catabolism: The breakdown of complex molecules to form simpler ones, with the release of energy.
Anabolism: The synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones, requiring energy.
Substrate: The substance on which an enzyme acts.
Active Site: The region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.
Products: The end result of the chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes.
Enzyme: A substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.
