Topic 13: Metabolism Flashcards
Are biological molecules everlasting?
Biological molecules are constantly used up and produced by cells.
Distinguish between macronutrients and micronutrients
- Macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins
+ relatively bigger - Miccronutrients: vitamins and minerals
+ relatively smaller
+ building blocks of tissues, optimize enzyme activity, etc.
Describe composition of fats, carbohydrates and proteins
- Carbohydrates: sugar chains bound to each other by condensation and dehydration between OH group
- Proteins: amino acids chain
+ proteins broken down into amino acids to be abosrbed into bloodstream
+ with amino group, carboxyl group and sidechains - Fats:
+ fat molecules are single bond between C and H
+ fat molecules are joined into small 3-C unit called glycerol with long fatty acids chains
–> triglycerides
+ stored in adipose tissue
What is the Greater Omentum?
A layer of adipose tissues covering the intestines to protect it and is a large storage of fats
How does ATP power cellular processes?
The bond between 2nd and 3rd phosphate groups when broken down releases energy used to power cellular processes.
The 3rd phosphate after leaving ATP binds to other proteins and this phosphate has (-) charge so it changes the interactions between the sidechains of proteins.
Compare and contrast different nutritional sources of proteins
All essential amino acid components of proteins are made by plants.
Plants can provide the same, even more, essential amino acids compared to meat with much less impact on the environment.
Explain how fats, proteins and carbohydrates are interconvertible with example of carbohydrates and fatty acids
Carbohydrates, after glycolysis, are turned into acetyl CoA entering Citric cycle.
The citrate made and used in the citric cyle can move out of mitochrondrion to become acetyl CoA and then fatty acids. Fatty acids can undergo more chain reactions to return back to mitochondrion as acetyl CoA.
