Question

Considering the apparent contradiction between bond-breaking requiring energy and catabolic pathways releasing energy, what reconciles this discrepancy?

A) Bonds breaking with a net release of energy as the heat required exceeds the energy needed to break them.
B) Catabolic pathways involving reactions where the net energy difference favors overall energy release despite bond-breaking's energy requirement.
C) The spontaneous breaking of bonds within catabolic pathways resulting in energy release.
D) Energy stored in bonds being released when new bonds are formed with products of lower free energy than reactants.

Answer 1

The contradiction between bond-breaking requiring energy and catabolic pathways releasing energy is resolved by the fact that energy stored in bonds is released when new bonds are formed with products of lower free energy than reactants.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering the apparent contradiction between bond-breaking requiring energy and catabolic pathways releasing energy, the reconciliation lies in the fact that energy stored in bonds is released when new bonds are formed with products of lower free energy than reactants.

This is option D. During catabolic reactions, certain chemical bonds are broken and new ones are formed. Bond-breaking requires an input of energy, but this energy is subsequently released when new bonds are formed with products that have lower free energy. Therefore, the overall energy change favors energy release despite the energy requirement for bond-breaking.