LIPID AND AMINO ACID METABOLISM

Lipid Transport

via chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL

Cholesterol may be obtained through

dietary sources or through synthesis in the liver

Key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis

HMG-CoA reductase

What is palmitic acid?

a fatty acid that humans can synthesize

Where is palmitic acid produced in the human body?

in the cytoplasm

What is the precursor for palmitic acid synthesis?

Acetyl-CoA

Where does acetyl-CoA need to be transported from to synthesize palmitic acid?

out of the mitochondria

Where does fatty acid oxidation occur?

in the mitochondria following transport by the carnitine shuttle, via beta-oxidation

What do ketone bodies form?

ketogenesis, during a prolonged starvation state due to excess acetyl-CoA in the liver

Ketolysis

regenerates acetyl-CoA for use as an energy source in peripheral tissues

Protein digestion occurs primarily

in small intestine

What are carbon skeletons of amino acids used for?

energy, either through gluconeogenesis or ketone body formation

What happens to amino groups from amino acids?

they are fed into the urea cycle for excretion