Bioenergetics
Bioenergetics
Bioenergetics (/ˌbaɪ.oʊˌɛnərˈdʒɛtɪks/) is the study of the transformation of energy in living organisms. The term is derived from the Greek words 'bios' meaning life and 'energeia' meaning activity or operation.
Overview
Bioenergetics is a field in Biochemistry and Cell Biology that concerns energy flow through living systems. This is an active area of biological research that includes the study of thousands of different cellular processes such as cellular respiration and the many other metabolic and enzymatic processes that lead to production and utilization of energy in forms such as ATP molecules.
History
The concept of bioenergetics has been around since the advent of life, but the modern field as we know it began in the 19th century with the work of Peter Mitchell, a British biochemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1978 for his work on the energetics of Mitochondria.
Key Concepts
Bioenergetics involves the study of various aspects of energy transformation in biological systems, including:
- Thermodynamics: The study of energy changes in physical and chemical processes.
- Metabolism: The set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms.
- Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the aid of chlorophyll pigments.
- Cellular Respiration: The set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP, and then release waste products.
Related Terms
- Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP): The main source of energy for most cellular processes.
- Mitochondria: The powerhouse of the cell, where ATP is produced.
- Glycolysis: The metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate.
- Oxidative Phosphorylation: The metabolic pathway in which cells use enzymes to oxidize nutrients, thereby releasing energy which is used to produce ATP.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Bioenergetics
- Wikipedia's article - Bioenergetics
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