BIOL 3031 - Advanced Biochemistry

Overall flachcards for Midterm Review / Final Exam Review

Metabolism

A set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms in order to maintain life / A network of chemical reactions, which are almost always mediated by enzymes

It allows for collecting/storage of energy, maintenance of pH, temperature, salt conditions, fabrication of big, low-entropy molecules

Applications: metabolic diseases/disorders/syndromes, metabolic poisons, drug development, nutrition.

Ozempic (semaglutide)

Used to treat type 2 diabetes and to lower the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or death in people who also have heart disease

A medicine that lowers blood sugar, reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events, and may help with weight loss.

Exergonic

Oxidation of food. Product is favoured.

Endergonic

Making new chemical bonds, mechanical work, maintenance of gradients. .Product is disfavoured.

Gibb’s Equation

Contains Gibb’s free energy, enthalpy change, entropy change

metabolic pathways (cycle)

A linked set of reactions within the network

This allows for linked reactions to grab on to unfavourable products and put them through a highly favourable reaction before they decompose

Pathways are almost always exergonic.

Catabolic reaction

The breakdown of stuff - degradation

A range of molecules (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids), converging on a relatively small number of intermediates.

Anabolic reaction

The building up of stuff - synthesis

A small number of molecules (i.e. pyruvate, Acetyl CoA, citrate) and make a huge variety of products.

Regulation of metabolic pathways

Control of metabolic pathways is by regulating the expression or activity of enzymes

• Regulation of enzyme activity = fast

• Regulation of expression = slow