Biochemistry 3380G Lecture Notes - Reaction Rate, Hydrolysis, Glutamine

• School: Western University
• Department: Biochemistry
• Course: Biochemistry 3380G
• Professor: Prof

Document Summary

14: biological forms of energy & reducing power. Gibb"s free energy ( g) operates according to thermodynamics and determines whether a reaction is energetically favourable (spontaneously proceeds) or unfavourable (doesn"t proceed spontaneously). G is affected by the properties of the molecules and also the reaction conditions. Energetically favourable reactions are where products are favoured over the reactants without energy input and g < 0. Equilibrium reactions are where neither the products nor the reactants are favoured and g = 0 (reaction is proceeding forwards and backwards at the same rate). Energetically unfavourable reactions are where reactants are favoured over the products, g > 0 and the conversion of reactants to products requires energy input. In a cell, there are ways assisting the forward reaction to proceed despite its non-spontaneity. In order to make an energetically unfavourable reaction proceed, it must be chemically coupled together with an energetically favourable one. However, this may not always result in an efficient result.