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 the transformation of energy in living organisms and 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 adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules. That is, the goal of bioenergetics is to describe how living organisms acquire and transform energy in order to perform biological work. The study of metabolic pathways is thus essential to bioenergetics.
Bioenergetics is the part of biochemistry concerned with the energy involved in making and breaking of chemical bonds in the molecules found in biological organisms. It can also be defined as the study of energy relationships and energy transformations and transductions in living organisms. The ability to harness energy from a variety of metabolic pathways is a property of all living organisms. Growth, development, anabolism and catabolism are some of the central processes in the study of biological organisms, because the role of energy is fundamental to such biological processes. Life is dependent on energy transformations; living organisms survive because of exchange of energy between living tissues/ cells and the outside environment. Some organisms, such as autotrophs, can acquire energy from sunlight (through photosynthesis) without needing to consume nutrients and break them down. Other organisms, like heterotrophs, must intake nutrients from food to be able to sustain energy by breaking down chemical bonds in nutrients during metabolic processes such as glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. Importantly, as a direct consequence of the First Law of Thermodynamics, autotrophs and heterotrophs participate in a universal metabolic network—by eating autotrophs (plants), heterotrophs harness energy that was initially transformed by the plants during photosynthesis.
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Biochemistry is a key discipline in the Life Sciences. Biological Chemistry I and II are two tightly interconnected courses that aims to understand in molecular terms the processes that make life poss
The course introduces and develops the key concepts from systems biology and systems engineering in the context of complex biological networks. The lectures elaborate on techniques and methods to mode
Closely interfacing with bioengineering and medicine, this course provides foundational concepts in applying small-molecule chemical toolsets to probe the functions of living systems at the mechanisti
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary information encoded in genes, which can be transmitted to future generations. Another major theme is evolution, which explains the unity and diversity of life. Energy processing is also important to life as it allows organisms to move, grow, and reproduce.
In cellular biology, active transport is the movement of molecules or ions across a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration—against the concentration gradient. Active transport requires cellular energy to achieve this movement. There are two types of active transport: primary active transport that uses adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and secondary active transport that uses an electrochemical gradient.
Chemiosmosis is the movement of ions across a semipermeable membrane bound structure, down their electrochemical gradient. An important example is the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by the movement of hydrogen ions (H+) across a membrane during cellular respiration or photosynthesis. Hydrogen ions, or protons, will diffuse from a region of high proton concentration to a region of lower proton concentration, and an electrochemical concentration gradient of protons across a membrane can be harnessed to make ATP.
Delves into the evolution of energy storage and consumption, explaining the differences in fat distribution and metabolic processes between men and women.
Covers modeling and analyzing complex biological networks, focusing on metabolism and signaling, using techniques like flux balance analysis and kinetic modeling.
New approaches are needed to address low physical activity levels among older adults and to promote daily physical activity tailored to their interests and abilities. This study aimed to review the current literature analyzing the physiological demands of ...
Under cold stress, the processes of autophagy, apoptosis and energy metabolism are pivotal for sustaining energy and tissue balance. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms and interactions underlying these processes are still largely unknown. In this ...
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy (HIE) in term newborns is a leading cause of mortality and chronic disability. Hypothermia (HT) is the only clinically available therapeutic intervention; however, its neuroprotective effects are limited. Lacto ...