Nitrogen Flashcards
How do nitrogen fixing bacteria live
anerobically
what inactivates nitrogen fixing bacteria
oxygen
what do root nodules on legumes contain
Rhizobium bacteria
example of nitrogen fixing bacteria
cyanobacteria
Why are leguminous plants important for nitrogenous activity
legheamoglobin combines to oxygen making conditions aerobic therefore nitrogenase can work
Nitrogen fixing requires
nitrogenase enzyme and a lot of ATP
cyanobacteria forms what to prevent oxygen entry
heterocysts
example of symbiotic relationship
Leguminous plants and nitrogenase
what usable form of nitrogen is taken up by plants
Nitrate
Flow of N from NH4+ to other biomolecules occurs through
glutamate
Glutamate formed by
ketoglutarate and ammonia
what 4 amino acids are held in much higher concentrations
Alanine, glutamine, glutamate and aspartate
organisms can fix N2 therefore conserve nitrogen by
Transaminations
Whats is transamination
transfer of amino groups between different molecules
Taking an amino acid of creates a
ketoacid
In transamination one of the two substrates always has to be
glutamate
the synthesis and degradation of amnio acids is
reversible
what typically accepts amino groups
α-ketoglutarate
The enzyme catalysing transamination is
aminotransferases
aminotransferases depends on cofactor
pyridoxal phosphate
what acts as temporary storage for nitrogen
L glutamine
pyridoxal phosphate derive from
vitamin b6
If aminotransferase present in plasma indicates
cell damage i.e. liver disease
structure of amino acid
NH3 group attached to a carbon which is attached to a COOH
structure of a ketoacid
a C double bond O attached to the COOH group
amino acid biosynthesis
addition of amino groups to the carbon skeletons of a-keto acids
example of a ketoacid
pyruvate
Amino acids undergo oxidative catabolism under three circumstances
Left over proteins, degraded
Dietary proteins exceed protein synthesis
Starvation, proteins broken down
Whats happens to dietary proteins
enzymatically hydrolysed
What enzymes breaks down proteins in the stomach
pepsin
trypsin and chymotrypsin cut proteins into further peptides in the
small intestine
what does amniopeptidase do to proteins crossing over into in intestine
degrade proteins into amnio acids
What can also be targeted for destruction and has same endpoint as dietary proteins
cellualr proteins
what pathway is used to digest dietary proteins to amino acids
anabolic (storage energy)
What happens to proteins that are ingested exceeding body’s needs
Have to be catabolised as no storage facility