Catabolism of Amino Acids
Overview Amino acids (AAs) follow 3 main metabolic pathways for their metabolism: Amino Acid Derivatives Amino acids can be used to assemble many substances. The image below shows the most important AA-derived substances in humans. Transamination Transamination is the transfer of an amino group from an alpha-AA to an alpha-keto acid, which is an AA […]
Enzyme Kinetics
Reaction Progress Curve Dependence of the Reaction Rate on Temperature Dependence of the Reaction Rate on pH Dependence of the Reaction Rate on Substrate Concentration Steady state conditions Early changes in concentrations of S, enzyme (E), enzyme-substrate complex (ES), and P change dramatically and are difficult to measure. Steady state occurs when changes in E […]
Enzyme Inhibition
Reversible Enzyme Inhibition Competitive inhibitors Non-competitive inhibitors Uncompetitive inhibitors Irreversible Enzyme Inhibition Suicide inhibitors Allosteric Effects References
DNA Replication
Preparation and Prerequisites for Replication Initiation Polymerase Function Exonuclease activity α Synthesizes the RNA primer and initiates DNA synthesis along the lagging strand 3′ → 5′ β Repairs DNA None γ Replicates mitochondrial DNA 3′ → 5′ δ Synthesizes the lagging strand, filling DNA gaps after removal of primer 3′ → 5′ ε Synthesizes the […]
Citric Acid Cycle
Functions Production of energy Amphibolic center The citric acid cycle provides precursors for many catabolic and anabolic processes. Reactions, Yield, and Energy Balance Two main substrates: acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate Steps:Acetyl-CoA (C2) + oxaloacetate (C4) → Citrate (C6) → Isocitrate (C6) → α-Ketoglutarate (C5) → Succinyl-CoA (C4) → Succinate (C4) → Fumarate (C4) → Malate (C4) → […]
Basics of Enzymes
Overview Definition An enzyme is a protein that presents active sites which perform reactions by decreasing the activation energy of that reaction. Enzyme characteristics Active site Enzyme Specificity Classification Enzyme naming The first part of the name describes the substrate. The last part describes the enzyme function. The first part will describe the product if […]
Urea Cycle
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism Transport of Nitrogen in the Blood Nitrogen is produced in skeletal musculature via the catabolism of proteins. It is bound to AAs in the form of amino groups → bloodstream → liver. Glutamate (or glutamic acid) is essential for nitrogen transport to the kidneys and liver. Alanine is essential for nitrogen […]