Energy and Chemical

Reactions
 What is Energy?
• Energy is the ability to move
or change matter.

• Energy is anything that is not

made up of matter.

• Examples: Light, Heat,

Electricity.
How is Energy Stored and/or Released?
• Energy is stored or released by chemical
reactions.

• What is a chemical reaction?

– A chemical reaction is a process during which

chemical bonds between atoms are broken
and new ones are formed.

– Energy is absorbed or released when chemical

bonds are broken and new ones are formed!
 Chemical Reactions
NaCl Na + Cl
Reactant Products

• Reactants: The starting materials in a

chemical reaction.

• Products: The ending materials in a chemical

reaction.
 Metabolism is a Chemical Reaction
• We already learned that
metabolism is the sum of all of
the chemical reactions that occur
within an organism.

• Your cell gets energy needed for

metabolism from the food that
you eat.
– Most comes during digestion
How do you start a chemical reaction?!?

• Activiation Energy! – the

energy needed to start a
chemical reaction.

• Activation energy is a simple

chemical “push” that starts a
chemical reaction.
Enzymes: The helpers in a chemical reaction.
• Chemical reactions in cells occur quickly
and at relatively low temperatures
because of the actions of enzymes.

• Enzymes are substances that increase

the speed of chemical reactions.

• Enzymes are catalysts. They reduce the

activation of a chemical reaction.
 Why are enzymes important?

• They help organisms

maintain homeostasis!

• Do you remember
homeostasis?
 How do enzymes work?
• Enzymes work on specific
substrates.

• What is a substrate?!
– A substrate is a chemical or
substance that an enzyme
works on in a chemical reaction