Thermodynamics of Energy Conversion within the Cell
Pp. 99-125 (27)
Jacques Ricard
Abstract
Many enzyme reactions take place in the living cell. Most of them are
disfavored by thermodynamics i.e. most of them could not take place alone, in isolation.
In the same vein, most of the processes involving the transport of matter are
thermodynamically disfavored. It is only because these chemical and transport
processes are coupled as to form a system that this system is feasible and functioning.
Keywords:
Disfavored chemical reactions and cell compartments, Energy
coupling, Active and passive transport, Transport processes, Fractionation factors,
Fluxes in living cells, Scalar processes, Vectorial processes, Coupling between
scalar and vectorial processes.
Affiliation:
Honorary Director of the Jacques Monod Institute CNRS, Paris cedex 5, France