Endergonic and Exergonic Reactions

SLCC BIOL Videos2 minutes read

Energy can be in various forms, such as potential and kinetic, stored in molecules like glucose with chemical energy released through cellular respiration. Reactions can be exergonic, releasing energy like catabolic reactions, or endergonic, needing energy like anabolic reactions, measured by Gibbs free energy with Delta G determining if energy is released (exergonic) or required (endergonic).

Insights

  • Energy exists in various forms like light, heat, and mechanical energy, with potential energy stored and kinetic energy in motion. Molecules like glucose store chemical energy in bonds, released through cellular respiration in catabolic reactions that break bonds for energy, contrasting with anabolic reactions requiring energy for bond formation.
  • Exergonic reactions release energy, as in catabolic reactions, while endergonic reactions need energy input, as in anabolic reactions. Gibbs free energy measures available energy for work, with Delta G showing if energy is released (exergonic) or required (endergonic), depicted in graphs by exergonic reactions with negative Delta G and endergonic reactions with positive Delta G.

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Recent questions

  • What is energy?

    Capacity to do work in various forms.

  • What is potential energy?

    Stored energy, like water behind a dam.

  • What is kinetic energy?

    Energy of motion, like moving water.

  • What is chemical energy?

    Energy stored in molecules' bonds.

  • What are exergonic reactions?

    Reactions that release energy.

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Summary

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Forms and Types of Energy and Reactions

  • Energy is defined as the capacity to do work and can exist in various forms such as light, heat, electrical, mechanical, nuclear, and chemical energy. Potential energy is stored energy, while kinetic energy is the energy of motion, with examples like water behind a dam representing potential energy and moving water showcasing kinetic energy.
  • Molecules contain potential chemical energy within their bonds, like glucose and fats with stored chemical energy in their covalent bonds. Cellular respiration releases this chemical energy by breaking these bonds, linking to catabolic and anabolic reactions where catabolic reactions release energy due to bond breakage, while anabolic reactions require energy for bond formation.
  • Exergonic reactions release energy, seen in catabolic reactions, while endergonic reactions require energy input, as in anabolic reactions. Gibbs free energy measures the energy available for work, with Delta G indicating the change in free energy during a reaction, determining if energy is released (exergonic) or required (endergonic). Graphing the change in free energy over a reaction shows exergonic reactions with a negative Delta G and endergonic reactions with a positive Delta G.
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