Metabolic pathways

• Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of all body cells
• Metabolism is the collective term for the thousands of biochemical reactions that occur within a living cell
• Metabolic pathways are integrated and controlled pathways of enzyme-catalyzed reactions within a cell
• Types of Metabolic Pathway:

  • Anabolic: buildup of larger complex molecules from simpler building blocks, requiring energy
  • Catabolic: breakdown of larger complex molecules into smaller ones, releasing energy
• Metabolic pathways can have reversible steps, irreversible steps, and alternative routes
• Metabolic pathways are controlled by the presence or absence of particular enzymes and the regulation of the rate of reaction of key enzymes
• During an enzyme reaction, there are changes in affinity between the enzyme's active site and other molecules
• Factors that affect enzyme activity include temperature, pH, substrate concentration, and inhibitors
• Activation energy is the energy needed for a chemical reaction to occur, and enzymes lower the activation energy
• Inhibitors can slow down or stop the rate of enzyme activity, with types including competitive inhibitors, non-competitive inhibitors, end-point inhibition, and feedback inhibition