INTRODUCTION

TO METABOLISM
 METABOLIC PATHWAY
• A pathway
✓ begins with a specific molecule,
✓then altered in a series of enzyme-mediated steps,
✓resulting a certain product
METABOLIC
PATHWAYS
• Many metabolic
pathways are seen in
living organisms
• Might overlap and
share substrates

https://slideplayer.com/slide/5891945/
 METABOLIC
PATHWAYS
• Catabolism: metabolic pathways
that release energy by breaking down
complex molecules to simpler
molecules

• Anabolism: metabolic pathways

that consume energy to synthesize a
complex molecule from simpler
molecules
METABOLISM
• Is the totality of an organism’s chemical reactions
• Enzymatic activities are regulated to balance
metabolic supply and demand
ENERGY
• Is the capacity to cause change
• Exists in various forms:
➢Kinetic Energy: energy associated with the relative motion of objects
❖Thermal energy: kinetic energy that transferred from one object to another in the
forms of heat
➢Potential Energy: energy that matter possesses because of its location or
structure
❖Chemical energy: potential energy that will be released in a chemical reaction
(complex molecules such as glucose are high in chemical energy)
THE LAWS OF ENERGY TRANSFORMATION

• First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy can be transferred or

transformed but neither created nor destroyed
• Second Law of Thermodynamics: Every energy transfer or
transformation increases the disorder (entropy) of the universe
Surroundings

System

Universe = System + Surroundings

FREE-ENERGY CHANGE OF A REACTION

• Tells us whether or not the reaction occurs spontaneously

G: Free energy of the system
H: Enthalpy (Total energy of the system)
S: Entropy of the system
T: Absolute temperature in Kelvin (K) unit
Δ: the change

• Processes with a negative ΔG are spontaneous

• ΔG can be negative only when the process involves a loss of free
energy during the change from initial state to final state
RELATIONSHIP OF FREE ENERGY, WORK
CAPACITY & SPONTANEOUS CHANGE
FREE-ENERGY CHANGE OF A REACTION
• Based on free-energy changes, chemical reactions can be
classified as Exergonic reactions and Endergonic reactions
ENZYMES
• Are Macromolecules that act as Catalysts (Biological Catalysts)
• Are substrate-specific
• Helping speed up the reactions:
✓ without being consumed
✓ by reducing the activation energy of the reactions
• Enzyme activities can be affected by environmental factors
(temperature, pH…)
Activation energy (EA - free energy of
activation):
The energy required to contort the reactants
molecules so the bonds can break
 SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY OF ENZYMES
Substrate: The reactant an enzyme acts on

Active site:
Region of the
enzyme that
binds the
substrate and
that forms the
pocket in
which catalysis
occurs
COFACTORS
• Are non-protein molecule/ion that is required for the proper
functioning of an enzyme
• Can be permanently bound to the active site
• Or may bind loosely and reversibly, along with the substrate,
during catalysis
• Coenzyme: an organic molecule (vitamins) serving as a cofactor
LECTURE’S HIGHLIGHTS
• An organism’s metabolism transforms matter and energy,
subject to the laws of thermodynamics
• Enzymes speed up metabolic reactions by lowering energy
barriers
• Regulation of enzyme activity helps control metabolism