Biochemical Reactions, Enzymes, and ATP

OCW Scholar

Session Overview

This session will introduce basic ideas of metabolism, Gibbs free energy, biochemical reactions, enzymes and ATP as the energy currency.

Learning Objectives

To understand that organisms, through their biochemistry, transform matter and energy.
To apply the general laws of thermodynamics to biological reactions.
To define Gibbs free energy, determine the Gibbs free energy change associated with a biochemical reaction, and identify spontaneous and non-spontaneous reactions.
To understand the role that enzymes play in biochemical reactions.
To understand how ATP provides the energy to power cellular work.

Watch the lecture video excerpt