Cellular Energetics and Metabolic Processes in Living Systems
A comprehensive exploration of cellular energetics metabolic pathways and energy transformation in biological systems, focusing on ATP's crucial role and thermodynamic principles.
Key Points:
- ATP serves as the primary cellular energy currency, driving essential processes including the role of ATP in muscle contraction
- The first and second laws of thermodynamics in biology govern energy transformations and entropy changes in biological systems
- Metabolic reactions are categorized into exergonic (energy-releasing) and endergonic (energy-requiring) processes
- Enzymes play a vital role in facilitating cellular reactions by lowering activation energy barriers