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Biochemistry - NEETMDS- courses
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Biochemistry

BIOLOGICAL BUFFER SYSTEMS 

Cells and organisms maintain a specific and constant cytosolic pH, keeping biomolecules in their optimal ionic state, usually near pH 7. In multicelled organisms, the pH of the extracellular fluids (blood, for example) is also tightly regulated. Constancy of pH is achieved primarily by biological buffers : mixtures of weak acids and their conjugate bases 

Body fluids and their principal buffers


Body fluids                     Principal buffers

Extracellular fluids        {Biocarbonate buffer Protein buffer } 

Intracellular fluids         {Phosphate buffer, Protein }

Erythrocytes                 {Hemoglobin buffer}

TRIGLYCEROL

 

Triacylglycerols (formerly triglycerides) are the esters of glycerol with fatty acids. The fats and oils that are widely distributed in both  plants and animals are chemically triacylglycerols.

 

They are insoluble in water and non-polar in character and commonly known as neutral fats.


Triacylglycerols are the most abundant dietary lipids. They are the form in which we store reduced carbon for energy. Each triacylglycerol has a glycerol backbone to which are esterified 3 fatty acids. Most triacylglycerols are "mixed." The three fatty acids differ in chain length and number of double bonds

 

Structures of acylglycerols :

Monoacylglycerols,  diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols, respectively consisting of one, two and three molecules of fatty acids esterified to

a molecule of glycerol

 

Lipases hydrolyze triacylglycerols, releasing one fatty acid at a time, producing  diacylglycerols, and eventually glycerol

 

Glycerol arising from hydrolysis of triacylglycerols is converted to the Glycolysis intermediate dihydroxyacetone phosphate, by reactions catalyzed by:
(1) Glycerol Kinase
(2) Glycerol Phosphate Dehydrogenase

Free fatty acids, which in solution have detergent properties, are transported in the blood bound to albumin, a serum protein produced by the liver.
Several proteins have been identified that facilitate transport of long chain fatty acids into cells, including the plasma membrane protein CD36

Parathyroid Hormone

Parathyroid hormone (PTH), parathormone or parathyrin, is secreted by the chief cells of the parathyroid glands.

It acts to increase the concentration of calcium (Ca2+) in the blood, whereas calcitonin (a hormone produced by the parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland) acts to decrease calcium concentration.

PTH acts to increase the concentration of calcium in the blood by acting upon the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (high levels in bone and kidney) and the parathyroid hormone 2 receptor (high levels in the central nervous system, pancreas, testis, and placenta).

Effect of parathyroid hormone in regulation of serum calcium.

Bone -> PTH enhances the release of calcium from the large reservoir contained in the bones. Bone resorption is the normal destruction of bone by osteoclasts, which are indirectly stimulated by PTH forming new osteoclasts, which ultimately enhances bone resorption.

Kidney -> PTH enhances active reabsorption of calcium and magnesium from distal tubules of kidney. As bone is degraded, both calcium and phosphate are released. It also decreases the reabsorption of phosphate, with a net loss in plasma phosphate concentration. When the calcium:phosphate ratio increases, more calcium is free in the circulation.

Intestine -> PTH enhances the absorption of calcium in the intestine by increasing the production of activated vitamin D. Vitamin D activation occurs in the kidney. PTH converts vitamin D to its active form (1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D). This activated form of vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium (as Ca2+ ions) by the intestine via calbindin.

Glycolysis enzymes are located in the cytosol of cells.  Pyruvate enters the mitochondrion to be metabolized further

Mitochondrial compartments: The mitochondrial matrix contains Pyruvate Dehydrogenase and enzymes of Krebs Cycle, plus other pathways such as fatty acid oxidation. 

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate, to form acetyl-CoA

FAD (Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide) is a derivative of the B-vitamin riboflavin (dimethylisoalloxazine-ribitol). The flavin ring system undergoes oxidation/reduction as shown below. Whereas NAD+ is a coenzyme that reversibly binds to enzymes, FAD is a prosthetic group, that is permanently part of the complex. 

FAD accepts and donates 2 electrons with 2 protons (2 H):

Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) is a derivative of  thiamine (vitamin B1). Nutritional deficiency of thiamine leads to the disease beriberi. Beriberi affects especially the brain, because TPP is required for carbohydrate metabolism, and the brain depends on glucose metabolism for energy

Acetyl CoA, a product of the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase reaction, is a central compound in metabolism. The "high energy" thioester linkage makes it an excellent donor of the acetate moiety

For example, acetyl CoA functions as:

  • input to the Krebs Cycle, where the acetate moiety is further degraded to CO2.
  • donor of acetate for synthesis of fatty acids, ketone bodies, and cholesterol.

 

ATPs  formed in TCA cycle from one molecule of Pyruvate

1. 3ATP            7. 3ATP          5. 3 ATP                     

 8. 1 ATP         9. 2 ATP          11.3 ATP         Total =15 ATP.

 

 ATPS formed from one molecule of Acetyl CoA =12ATP

 

ATPs formed from one molecule of glucose after complete oxidation

One molecule of glucose -->2 molecules of pyruvate

['By glycolysis] ->8 ATP

2 molecules of pyruvate [By TCA cycle] -> 30 ATP

Total = 38 ATP

Glycogen Storage Diseases are genetic enzyme deficiencies associated with excessive glycogen accumulation within cells.

  • When an enzyme defect affects mainly glycogen storage in liver, a common symptom is hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), relating to impaired mobilization of glucose for release to the blood during fasting.
  • When the defect is in muscle tissue, weakness and difficulty with exercise result from inability to increase glucose entry into Glycolysis during exercise.

Various type of Glycogen storage disease are

Type

Name

Enzyme Deficient

I

Von Geirke’s Disease

Glucose -6-phosphate

II

Pompe’s Disease

(1, 4)glucosidase

III

Cori’s Disease

Debranching Enzymes

IV

Andersen’s Disease

Branching Enzymes

V

McArdle’s Disease

Muscles Glycogen Phosphorylase

IONIZATION OF WATER, WEAK ACIDS AND WEAK BASES

The ionization of water can be described by an equilibrium constant. When weak acids or weak bases are dissolved in water, they can contribute H+ by ionizing (if acids) or consume H+ by being protonated (if bases). These processes are also governed by equilibrium constants

Water molecules have a slight tendency to undergo reversible ionization to yield a hydrogen ion and a hydroxide ion :

H2O = H+ + OH

The position of equilibrium of any chemical reaction is given by its equilibrium constant. For the general reaction,

A+B = C + D

 

The Hemoglobin Buffer Systems

These buffer systems are involved in buffering CO2 inside erythrocytes. The buffering capacity of hemoglobin depends on its oxygenation and deoxygenation. Inside the erythrocytes, CO2 combines with H2O to form carbonic acid (H2CO3) under the action of carbonic anhydrase.

At the blood pH 7.4, H2CO3 dissociates into H+ and HCO3 and needs immediate buffering.

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