m7 Protein Degradation and Synthesis

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and key concepts related to protein degradation and synthesis, focusing on proteins, amino acids, and metabolic pathways.

Protein degradation

The process of breaking down proteins into smaller peptides or amino acids.

Lysosome

An organelle containing digestive enzymes that break down waste materials and cellular debris.

Proteasome

A large protein complex that degrades ubiquitinated proteins into small peptides.

Ubiquitin

A small protein that tags other proteins for degradation by the proteasome.

Amino acids

Building blocks of proteins, which can be used in protein synthesis or degraded for energy.

Deamination

The removal of an amino group from an amino acid, resulting in ammonia and a carbon skeleton.

Urea cycle

A series of chemical reactions in the liver that convert ammonia into urea for excretion.

Cori cycle

The metabolic pathway that recycles lactate produced by anaerobic glycolysis in muscles to glucose in the liver.

Alanine cycle

A process that involves the uptake of alanine by the liver, converting it into pyruvate for gluconeogenesis.

Regulatory mechanisms

Processes that control the degradation of proteins to prevent unnecessary breakdown.