Chemical Reactions
There are two kinds of chemical reactions
-Exergonic Reactions
-Endergonic Reactions
Chemical reactions that release energy are called exergonic reactions. You might call exergonic reactions "downhill" reactions. Other reactions called endergonic reactions, are "uphill" changes; they absorb enery from their surroundings.
Every working cell has to carry out thousands of endergonic reactions- reactions in which products have ore potential enery than reactants.
The trick is energy coupling- obtaining chemical energy from an exergonic reaction and then using the energy to drive an endergonic reaction. ATP is the key to energy coupling in the cell. In an exergonic reaction, ATP becomes ADP as a phosphate is removed; a reactant molecule aquires the phosphate from ATP and gains energy.
-Exergonic Reactions
-Endergonic Reactions
Chemical reactions that release energy are called exergonic reactions. You might call exergonic reactions "downhill" reactions. Other reactions called endergonic reactions, are "uphill" changes; they absorb enery from their surroundings.
Every working cell has to carry out thousands of endergonic reactions- reactions in which products have ore potential enery than reactants.
The trick is energy coupling- obtaining chemical energy from an exergonic reaction and then using the energy to drive an endergonic reaction. ATP is the key to energy coupling in the cell. In an exergonic reaction, ATP becomes ADP as a phosphate is removed; a reactant molecule aquires the phosphate from ATP and gains energy.