Metabolism

Question 1

anabolism

Answer 1

the process of building up larger and more complex molecules from simple precursors
- turns ATP and reduced cofactors into ADP and oxidized cofactors

Question 2

catabolism

Answer 2

the breakdown of large molecules into simpler products
- turns ADP and oxidized cofactors into ATP and reduced cofactors

Question 3

common themes in cellular metabolism

Answer 3

• catabolic pathways converge: most substances are converted into Acetyl-CoA
• anabolic pathways diverge: Acetyl-CoA is used to build everything

Question 4

metabolic pathways

Answer 4

• series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions
• converts a precursor into a product through a series of metabolites
• each step has a small but specific chemical change
• contains at least one reaction which is thermodynamically favourable (irreversible)
• are regulates

Question 5

Elucidation of metabolic pathways

Answer 5

happens through…
- the use of metabolic inhibitors
- biochemical genetics
- the use of radioactively labeled substrates

Question 6

metabolic inhibitors

Answer 6

-when an enzyme is inhibited, the product made before it will accumulate and can be isolated

Question 7

elucidation through biochemical genetics

Answer 7

• genetic diseases can arise when inhibition of an enzyme causes a gene not to function
• auxotrophic mutants can be identified by their requirement of the end product of the affected pathway

Question 8

radioactively labeled substrates

Answer 8

14C behaves like regular C12 but the radioisotope can be traced easily because when it decays it releases a little flash of light