Principles of Biology

Miranda Casturo
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This textbook is designed specifically for Kansas State's Biology 198 Class. The course is taught using the studio approach and based on active learning. The studio manual contains all of the learning objectives for each class period and is the record of all student activities. Hence, this textbook is more of a reference tool while the studio manual is the learning tool. Authors: Robert Bear, David Rintoul, Bruce Snyder, Martha Smith-Caldas, Christopher Herren, and Eva Horne Kansas State University Libraries New Prairie Press Bear, Robert; Rintoul, David; Snyder, Bruce; Smith-Caldas, Martha; Herren, Christopher; and Horne, Eva, "Principles of Biology" (2016). Open Access Textbooks. 1. https://newprairiepress.org/textbooks/1 The textbook was originally published and is also available to download at http://cnx.org/contents/db89c8f8-a27c-4685-ad2a-19d11a2a7e2e@24.1.It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 license. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support.

  1. 1d ago

    Fermentation

    If NADH cannot be metabolized through aerobic respiration, another electron acceptor is used. Most organisms will use some form of fermentation to accomplish the regeneration of NAD+, ensuring the continuation of glycolysis. The regeneration of NAD+ in fermentation is not accompanied by ATP production; therefore, the potential for NADH to produce ATP using an electron transport chain is not utilized.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/4-4-fermentation             Welcome to Principles of Biology, this podcast will attempt to explain how life works.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support

  2. 4d ago

    Citric Acid Cycle and Oxidative Phosphorylation

    The citric acid cycle is a series of chemical reactions that removes high-energy electrons and uses them in the electron transport chain to generate ATP. One molecule of ATP (or an equivalent) is produced per each turn of the cycle.         The electron transport chain is the portion of aerobic respiration that uses free oxygen as the final electron acceptor for electrons removed from the intermediate compounds in glucose catabolism. The electrons are passed through a series of chemical reactions, with a small amount of free energy used at three points to transport hydrogen ions across the membrane. This contributes to the gradient used in chemiosmosis. As the electrons are passed from NADH or FADH2 down the electron transport chain, they lose energy. The products of the electron transport chain are water and ATP. A number of intermediate compounds can be diverted into the anabolism of other biochemical molecules, such as nucleic acids, non-essential amino acids, sugars, and lipids. These same molecules, except nucleic acids, can serve as energy sources for the glucose pathway.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/4-3-citric-acid-cycle-and-oxidative-phosphorylation             Welcome to Principles of Biology, this podcast will attempt to explain how life works.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support

  3. 6d ago

    Glycolysis

    ATP functions as the energy currency for cells. It allows cells to store energy briefly and transport it within itself to support endergonic chemical reactions. The structure of ATP is that of an RNA nucleotide with three phosphate groups attached. As ATP is used for energy, a phosphate group is detached, and ADP is produced. Energy derived from glucose catabolism is used to recharge ADP into ATP.          Glycolysis is the first pathway used in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy. Because it is used by nearly all organisms on earth, it must have evolved early in the history of life. Glycolysis consists of two parts: The first part prepares the six-carbon ring of glucose for separation into two three-carbon sugars. Energy from ATP is invested into the molecule during this step to energize the separation. The second half of glycolysis extracts ATP and high-energy electrons from hydrogen atoms and attaches them to NAD+. Two ATP molecules are invested in the first half and four ATP molecules are formed during the second half. This produces a net gain of two ATP molecules per molecule of glucose for the cell.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/4-2-glycolysis             Welcome to Principles of Biology, this podcast will attempt to explain how life works.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support

  4. Oct 26

    Energy and Metabolism

    Cells perform the functions of life through various chemical reactions. A cell’s metabolism refers to the combination of chemical reactions that take place within it. Catabolic reactions break down complex chemicals into simpler ones and are associated with energy release. Anabolic processes build complex molecules out of simpler ones and require energy.      n studying energy, the term system refers to the matter and environment involved in energy transfers. Entropy is a measure of the disorder of a system. The physical laws that describe the transfer of energy are the laws of thermodynamics. The first law states that the total amount of energy in the universe is constant. The second law of thermodynamics states that every energy transfer involves some loss of energy in an unusable form, such as heat energy. Energy comes in different forms: kinetic, potential, and free. The change in free energy of a reaction can be negative (releases energy, exergonic) or positive (consumes energy, endergonic). All reactions require an initial input of energy to proceed, called the activation energy.       Enzymes are chemical catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering their activation energy. Enzymes have an active site with a unique chemical environment that fits particular chemical reactants for that enzyme, called substrates. Enzymes and substrates are thought to bind according to an induced-fit model. Enzyme action is regulated to conserve resources and respond optimally to the environment.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/4-1-energy-and-metabolism             Welcome to Principles of Biology, this podcast will attempt to explain how life works.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support

  5. Oct 23

    Active Transport

    The combined gradient that affects an ion includes its concentration gradient and its electrical gradient. Living cells need certain substances in concentrations greater than they exist in the extracellular space. Moving substances up their electrochemical gradients requires energy from the cell. Active transport uses energy stored in ATP to fuel the transport. Active transport of small molecular-size material uses integral proteins in the cell membrane to move the material—these proteins are analogous to pumps. Some pumps, which carry out primary active transport, couple directly with ATP to drive their action. In secondary transport, energy from primary transport can be used to move another substance into the cell and up its concentration gradient.       Endocytosis methods require the direct use of ATP to fuel the transport of large particles such as macromolecules; parts of cells or whole cells can be engulfed by other cells in a process called phagocytosis. In phagocytosis, a portion of the membrane invaginates and flows around the particle, eventually pinching off and leaving the particle wholly enclosed by an envelope of plasma membrane. Vacuoles are broken down by the cell, with the particles used as food or dispatched in some other way. Pinocytosis is a similar process on a smaller scale. The cell expels waste and other particles through the reverse process, exocytosis. Wastes are moved outside the cell, pushing a membranous vesicle to the plasma membrane, allowing the vesicle to fuse with the membrane and incorporating itself into the membrane structure, releasing its contents to the exterior of the cell.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at             Welcome to Principles of Biology, this podcast will attempt to explain how life works.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support

  6. Oct 21

    Passive Transport

    The passive forms of transport, diffusion and osmosis, move material of small molecular weight. Substances diffuse from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration, and this process continues until the substance is evenly distributed in a system. In solutions of more than one substance, each type of molecule diffuses according to its own concentration gradient. Many factors can affect the rate of diffusion, including concentration gradient, the sizes of the particles that are diffusing, and the temperature of the system.         In living systems, diffusion of substances into and out of cells is mediated by the plasma membrane. Some materials diffuse readily through the membrane, but others are hindered, and their passage is only made possible by protein channels and carriers. The chemistry of living things occurs in aqueous solutions, and balancing the concentrations of those solutions is an ongoing problem. In living systems, diffusion of some substances would be slow or difficult without membrane proteins.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/3-5-passive-transport             Welcome to Principles of Biology, this podcast will attempt to explain how life works.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support

  7. Oct 19

    The Cell Membrane

    The modern understanding of the plasma membrane is referred to as the fluid mosaic model. The plasma membrane is composed of a bilayer of phospholipids, with their hydrophobic, fatty acid tails in contact with each other. The landscape of the membrane is studded with proteins, some of which span the membrane. Some of these proteins serve to transport materials into or out of the cell. Carbohydrates are attached to some of the proteins and lipids on the outward-facing surface of the membrane. These form complexes that function to identify the cell to other cells. The fluid nature of the membrane owes itself to the configuration of the fatty acid tails, the presence of cholesterol embedded in the membrane (in animal cells), and the mosaic nature of the proteins and protein-carbohydrate complexes, which are not firmly fixed in place. Plasma membranes enclose the borders of cells, but rather than being a static bag, they are dynamic and constantly in flux.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/3-4-the-cell-membrane             Welcome to Principles of Biology, this podcast will attempt to explain how life works.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support

  8. Oct 16

    Eukaryotic Cells

    Like a prokaryotic cell, a eukaryotic cell has a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and ribosomes, but a eukaryotic cell is typically larger than a prokaryotic cell, has a true nucleus (meaning its DNA is surrounded by a membrane), and has other membrane-bound organelles that allow for compartmentalization of functions. The plasma membrane is a phospholipid bilayer embedded with proteins. The nucleolus within the nucleus is the site for ribosome assembly. Ribosomes are found in the cytoplasm or are attached to the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane or endoplasmic reticulum. They perform protein synthesis. Mitochondria perform cellular respiration and produce ATP. Peroxisomes break down fatty acids, amino acids, and some toxins. Vesicles and vacuoles are storage and transport compartments. In plant cells, vacuoles also help break down macromolecules.     Animal cells also have a centrosome and lysosomes. The centrosome has two bodies, the centrioles, with an unknown role in cell division. Lysosomes are the digestive organelles of animal cells.      Plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts, and a central vacuole. The plant cell wall, whose primary component is cellulose, protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives shape to the cell. Photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts. The central vacuole expands, enlarging the cell without the need to produce more cytoplasm.      The endomembrane system includes the nuclear envelope, the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, vesicles, as well as the plasma membrane. These cellular components work together to modify, package, tag, and transport membrane lipids and proteins.      The cytoskeleton has three different types of protein elements. Microfilaments provide rigidity and shape to the cell, and facilitate cellular movements. Intermediate filaments bear tension and anchor the nucleus and other organelles in place. Microtubules help the cell resist compression, serve as tracks for motor proteins that move vesicles through the cell, and pull replicated chromosomes to opposite ends of a dividing cell. They are also the structural elements of centrioles, flagella, and cilia.      Animal cells communicate through their extracellular matrices and are connected to each other by tight junctions, desmosomes, and gap junctions. Plant cells are connected and communicate with each other by plasmodesmata.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/3-3-eukaryotic-cells             Welcome to Principles of Biology, this podcast will attempt to explain how life works.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support

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This textbook is designed specifically for Kansas State's Biology 198 Class. The course is taught using the studio approach and based on active learning. The studio manual contains all of the learning objectives for each class period and is the record of all student activities. Hence, this textbook is more of a reference tool while the studio manual is the learning tool. Authors: Robert Bear, David Rintoul, Bruce Snyder, Martha Smith-Caldas, Christopher Herren, and Eva Horne Kansas State University Libraries New Prairie Press Bear, Robert; Rintoul, David; Snyder, Bruce; Smith-Caldas, Martha; Herren, Christopher; and Horne, Eva, "Principles of Biology" (2016). Open Access Textbooks. 1. https://newprairiepress.org/textbooks/1 The textbook was originally published and is also available to download at http://cnx.org/contents/db89c8f8-a27c-4685-ad2a-19d11a2a7e2e@24.1.It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 license. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/principles-of-biology--5666059/support.

Information

  • Creator
    Miranda Casturo
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    134
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Miranda Casturo
  • Show Website
    Principles of Biology