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Negative & Positive Feedback definitions

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  • Negative Feedback
    A regulatory mechanism where a pathway's final product inhibits an earlier step, acting like a red light to slow or stop production.
  • Positive Feedback
    A stimulatory mechanism where a pathway's final product enhances an earlier step, acting like a green light to increase production.
  • Metabolic Pathway
    A series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions converting molecules stepwise to a final product within a cell.
  • Final Product
    The end molecule produced after all steps of a metabolic pathway, often involved in feedback regulation.
  • Enzyme
    A protein catalyst that accelerates specific reactions within metabolic pathways, often targeted by feedback mechanisms.
  • Inhibition
    A process where a molecule decreases or blocks the activity of an enzyme, slowing down a metabolic pathway.
  • Stimulation
    A process where a molecule increases the activity of an enzyme, speeding up a metabolic pathway.
  • Red Light
    A metaphor for a signal that halts or slows a process, representing negative feedback in metabolic regulation.
  • Green Light
    A metaphor for a signal that accelerates a process, representing positive feedback in metabolic regulation.
  • Product F
    A specific example of a final product in a metabolic pathway, used to illustrate feedback mechanisms.
  • Enzyme 1
    The first catalyst in a metabolic pathway, often the target for feedback regulation by the final product.
  • Molecule A
    The initial substrate in a metabolic pathway, converted by the first enzyme and regulated by feedback.
  • Molecule B
    An intermediate product in a metabolic pathway, its formation is often regulated by feedback mechanisms.