2.7 Integration Of Metabolism Flashcards
What forms of energy production does skeletal muscle rely on?
Fatty acid oxidation and carbohydrate oxidation
During light contraction of skeletal muscle, how is ATP consumption met?
Through oxidative phosphorlyation
During vigorous contraction, how is ATP consumption met?
Muscle stores of glycogen are then broken down to produce ATP
Under anaerobic conditions, what is pyruvate converted into?
Lactate
What is the only substrate that the brain can use as a source of energy?
Glucose/carbohydrates
Which energy source can the brain not use?
The brain cannot metabolise fatty acids
What can partially substitute for glucose in the brain?
Ketone bodies
What can too little glucose in the brain cause?
Hypoglycaemia - faintness and coma
What can too much glucose in the brain cause?
Hyperglycaemia - irreversible damage to multiple organ systems like retinas
What does the heart utilise for energy substrates?
TCA cycle substrates – free fatty acids and ketone bodies
What happens to the heart when energy demand > energy supply?
Myocardial infarction
Name four fuel sources for the heart
Ketone bodies, glucose, fatty acids and lactate
Why does the heart have a lot of mitochondria?
Because the heart is designed for aerobic conditions – high energy supply
How does the liver store glucose?
As glycogen
What range does the liver try keep the blood glucose levels between?
4-5.5 mmol/L
Excess of what can be used to generate glycogen in the liver and muscle?
Excess glucose-6-phosphate
How are fatty acids stored in adipose tissue?
They are stored as triglycerides in the adipose tissue
During fasting, what happens to the Acetyl CoA which is produced?
Much of the Acetyl CoA is used to generate ketone bodies
What happens to lactate production during periods of intense exercise?
It increases - produced from pyruvate
What three things can the body initially do when the blood glucose concentration drops below 3mM?
- Breakdown liver glycogen stores to maintain levels
- Release free fatty acids from adipose tissue
- Convert Acetyl CoA into ketone bodies in the liver
How does the brain get more glucose when the body is in a hypoglycaemic coma?
The skeletal muscle can use ketone bodies and fatty acids
This makes more plasma glucose available for the brain which cannot metabolise fatty acids
After how many hours are the bodies glycogen stores depelated?
12-18 hours
After the body has depleted its glycogen stores, what is used to generate glucose?
Gluconeogenesis
How is pyruvate regenerated from lactate?
Using lactate dehydrogenase enzyme
Which reaction in gluconeogenesis occurs in the mitochondria?
The convertion of pyruvate to oxaloacetate
What enzyme is used to convert pyruvate into oxaloacetate?
Pyruvate carboxylase
How does oxaloacetate move out the mitochondria once it has been produced from pyruvate?
It moves via the malate shuttle, where it is then converted into phosphophenolpyruvate
How do glucogenic amino acids give rise to glucose?
They undergo deamination reactions which results in the production of pyruvate, which yields glucose through gluconeogenesis
Where do the reactions of gluconeogenesis occur?
Pyruvate to oxaloacetate in mitochondria
Rest in cytosol
List out all the reactions in gluconeogenesis
Pyruvate
Oxaloacetate by pyruvate carboxylase
Phosphoenolpyruvate by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase
F-1,6-BP
F6P by fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase
G6P
Glucose by glucose-6-phosphatase
How is gluconeogenesis made energetically favourable?
The 4 additional high energy bonds make it energetically favourable
ΔG for the straight reversal of glycolysis would be +90 (unfavourable) but ΔG for gluconeogenesis is -38 kJ/mol
What do ketogenic amino acids give rise to?
Skeletons that can be used to synthesise FAs and ketone bodies but cannot enter gluconeogenesis