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Endergonic Reaction Lab Report

Decent Essays

Cells need energy to keep themselves going. They would not be able to survive without energy. Not only do cells need energy to maintaining the flow of ions and the replacement of used molecules, cells need energy for particular activities, such as movement.
Endergonic and exergonic reactions have many similarities and differences. They both lose some energy through heat. For endergonic (energy-gaining) reactions, the change in energy state is positive. The final state of the reaction has more energy than the initial state. The reaction will not occur without the input of energy, as energy is absorbed. Usually the products, or final state, is more complex and ordered than the reactants, or starting state. Living organisms often use endergonic …show more content…

Anabolism, or constructive metabolism, supports new cell growth, maintains body tissues, and stores energy for future use. During this metabolic process, tiny molecules are changed into larger, more complex molecules of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Catabolism, or destructive metabolism, is the metabolic process that produces energy that is needed for all cell activity. Cells break down larger molecules, like carbohydrates and fats, to release energy. The release of this energy provides fuel for anabolism, warms the body, and allows muscles to contract and lets the body move. As more complex chemical units are broken down into more simpler substances, the waste products released in this metabolic process are removed from the human body through the intestines, lungs, kidneys, and …show more content…

One example is in active transport. ATP will lose one of its three phosphates and that phosphate would bind to a sodium-potassium protein pump found on the cell membrane. The energy of that phosphate is used to pump three sodium ions out of the cell and pump two potassium ions into the cell. So, ATP is used to pump sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell. Another example of a biological function using ATP is the movement of our muscles. The phosphate from an ATP molecule will bond to a protein called myosin. This will attract to an actin, which therefore causes muscles to contract. So, muscles are able to contract using the energy provided by the phosphate given off by ATP. ATP is also used in the formation of polymers. To build a polymer, the most efficient way to do this is by using a phosphate. Initially, ATP binds to an enzyme, which then allows amino acids to attach onto the tRNA molecule. Large polymers, like RNA, can be built like

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