Metabolism Flashcards
Lectures 21-26 (Declan Doyle)
What is the meaning of catabolic?
A reaction that releases energy.
What is the meaning of anabolic?
A reaction that uses energy.
What are the two functions of the oxidative catabolism of glucose?
- Production of ATP
- Production of intermediates from glycolysis and TCA cycle (for other metabolic pathways)
What is the equation for Gibbs free energy?
Enthalpy - temperature x entropy (ΔH-TΔS)
What is ΔG∘’?
Gibbs free energy at pH 7, also known as gibbs free energy during reactions.
What is ΔG∘?
Gibbs free energy at pH 0.
What does a negative ΔG∘ tell you about a reaction?
Reaction is exergonic meaning free energy is released during it.
What does a positive ΔG∘ tell you about a reaction?
The reaction is endergonic and free energy is absorbed during it.
What is Kc?
An equilibrium constant, otherwise known as the ratio of concentration of products to reactants.
What does a small Kc tell you about a reaction?
It lies to the left, meaning the reactants are much smaller than the products.
What is the Van’t Hoff Isotherm equation?
ΔG = ΔG∘’ + R(Gas constant)T InQ
What is the Van’t Hoff Isotherm used for?
It can be used to predict if a reaction is spontaneous or not.
What are the two things the ΔG is dependant on?
Constant term: Value depends only on if reaction happens or not.
Variable term: Dependent on concentrations of reactants and products.
What is the importance of ΔG being additive?
Throughout a metabolic pathway, ΔG of any one reaction can be positive and the pathway can still occur as long as the overall ΔG is negative.
Why are metabolic pathways irreversible?
They are highly exergonic so the reverse would be highly endergonic which doesnt work.
What is feedback inhibition and how does it prevent metabolic pathways?
It is when the product of a pathway stops the pathway occurring again by switching on/off the gene for the first enzyme, so not too much product is made.
Why is glycolysis irreversible?
It has a large positive ΔG.
What is the first main step of glycolysis?
D glucose → Glucose 6 Phosphate (via Hexokinase reaction that requires ATP)
What is the second main step of glycolysis?
Fructose 6 phosphate → Fructose 1,6 Biphosphate (via phosphofructokinase that requires ATP)
What s the third main step of glycolysis?
PEP → Pyruvate (Via pyruvate kinase that requires ATP)
What is a cofactor?
A non protein component of an enzyme.
What is a coenzyme?
An organic cofactor.
What is oxidation?
A loss of electrons/hydrogen. Results in many C-O bonds and lower potential energy.
What is reduction?
Gain of electrons and hydrogen. Results in many C-H bonds and higher potential energy.
Are phosphorylation reactions ender or exogonic?
They are endergonic. They are also irreversible because to take the phosphate and add it to ADP is highly endergonic.
What are the 3 reasons the kJ/mol from glucose isn’t simply released as heat?
- Biological systems do not utilise heat as a source of energy.
- No single energy requires that much energy to be released.
- The activation energy needs to be overcome and enzymes only act on small changes
How is glucose energy released?
Glucose is catabolised in small steps and energy is released in usable bouts of ATP. These are 30kJ/mol.
What is ATP coenzyme used for?
Phosphate transfer.
What is NAD+/NADH used for?
Oxidation/reduction
What is the use of glycerol?
Readily metabolised into an intermediate glycolysis. Either converted into pyruvic acid or used in gluconeogenesis.
What is the first of ten steps of glycolysis?
Facilitated diffusion via transport proteins, moving from a high to low concentration of glucose.
- Needs no energy
What is the second of ten steps of glycolysis? Is this reversible?
G6P → F6P via phosphoglucose isomerase.
- Done because it needs to phosphorylate a hydroxyl group so that after lysis both 3 carbons are phosphorylated.
- Reversible.
What is the third of ten steps of glycolysis? Is this reversible?
F6P → F-1,6-Biphosphate via phosphofructokinase.
- Two phosphate groups added.
- Irreversible
What is the fourth of ten steps of glycolysis? Is this reversible?
F-1,6-BP → DHAP and GAP via aldolase.
- Reversible.
What is the fifth of ten steps of glycolysis? Is this reversible?
DHAP → GAP via triose phosphate isomerase.
- Reversible
What is the sixth of the ten steps of glycolysis? Is this reversible?
Gap ↔ 1,3BP via GAP hydrogenase.
- Uses NAD⁺ or NADH + H⁺
- Reversible
- Oxidation step, converting an aldehyde to a carboxylic acid.
What is the seventh of the ten steps of glycolysis? Is this reversible?
1,3BP ↔ 3 phosphoglycerate via phosphoglycerate kinase.
- Uses ADP or ATP as it is reversible.
- Acid from phosphate leads to greater negative ΔG.
What is the eighth of the ten steps of glycolysis? Is this reversible?
3P (Phosphoglycerate) ↔ 2P via phosphoglycerate mutase.
- Reversible.
- Not exergonic enough to produce ATP.
How is 2P transformed into PEP in Glycolysis?
2P = 2 phosphoglycerate
PEP = Phosphoenol Pyruvate
2 Phosphoglycerate ↔ Phosphoenol pyruvate via enolase.
- Reversible, H₂O produced when forward.
- Highly exergonic.
Why is the ninth step of glycolysis so exergonic?
The phosphoryl group traps the molecule in an unstable enol (alkaline with hydroxyl group) form.
- Enol converts into more stable ketone (pyruvate)