FERREDOXIN Meaning and
Definition
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Ferredoxin is a protein found in various organisms, including plants, bacteria, and some primitive eukaryotes, that plays a crucial role in electron transfer processes within cells. It acts as an electron carrier, shuttling electrons between different enzymatic reactions and helping to maintain cellular redox balance.
Structured around an iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster, ferredoxin is characterized by its ability to undergo reversible oxidation and reduction, gaining and losing electrons. This redox capability allows it to participate in key biological reactions such as photosynthesis, respiration, and nitrogen fixation.
In photosynthetic organisms, ferredoxin acts as an electron carrier between the light reactions and the dark reactions of photosynthesis. During the light reactions, it accepts high-energy electrons from photosystem I and transfers them to enzymes involved in carbon fixation during the dark reactions, playing a vital role in converting sunlight into chemical energy.
In addition to its role in photosynthesis, ferredoxin participates in various other metabolic pathways. Its involvement in cellular respiration helps in the synthesis of important molecules, such as nucleotides, lipids, and amino acids. Furthermore, in some bacteria, ferredoxin is essential for nitrogen fixation, a process where atmospheric nitrogen is converted into a more usable form by nitrogenase enzymes.
Overall, ferredoxin acts as a crucial intermediary in numerous cellular processes by facilitating electron transfer and maintaining efficient energy metabolism. Its versatility as an electron carrier makes it a fundamental component of life, contributing to the functional diversity and adaptability of organisms across different domains.
Common Misspellings for FERREDOXIN
- derredoxin
- cerredoxin
- verredoxin
- gerredoxin
- terredoxin
- rerredoxin
- fwrredoxin
- fsrredoxin
- fdrredoxin
- frrredoxin
- f4rredoxin
- f3rredoxin
- feeredoxin
- fedredoxin
- fefredoxin
- fetredoxin
- fe5redoxin
- fe4redoxin
- fereedoxin
- ferdedoxin
Etymology of FERREDOXIN
The word Ferredoxin is derived from the combination of two components: ferro and doxin.
The term ferro comes from the Latin word ferrum, which means iron. This is because ferredoxin is a type of iron-sulfur protein that contains iron atoms which play a crucial role in its function.
The second component, doxin, comes from redox, which stands for reduction-oxidation. Redox refers to the transfer of electrons from one molecule to another during chemical reactions. Since ferredoxin participates in these electron transfer reactions, the suffix -doxin is used to indicate its involvement in redox processes.
Therefore, combining ferro (iron) and -doxin (indication of involvement in redox) forms the word Ferredoxin.
Similar spelling words for FERREDOXIN
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