Biology

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

Good morning. Please don't forget the sign the roll sheet and remind any classmates electing not to attend that I will be giving out detentions for such. It's getting ridiculous.

Today, we will be discussing amino acid metabolism.

All tissues have some capability for synthesis of the non-essential amino acids, amino acid remodeling, and conversion of non-amino acid carbon skeletons into amino acids and other derivatives that contain nitrogen. However, the liver is the major site of nitrogen metabolism in the body. In times of dietary surplus, the potentially toxic nitrogen of amino acids is eliminated via transaminations, deamination, and urea formation; the carbon skeletons are generally conserved as carbohydrate, via gluconeogenesis, or as fatty acid via fatty acid synthesis pathways.

In this respect amino acids fall into three categories: glucogenic, ketogenic, or glucogenic and ketogenic. Glucogenic amino acids are those that give rise to a net production of pyruvate or TCA cycle intermediates, such as a-ketoglutarate or oxaloacetate, all of which are precursors to glucose via gluconeogenesis. All amino acids except lysine and leucine are at least partly glucogenic. Lysine and leucine are the only amino acids that are solely ketogenic, giving rise only to acetylCoA or acetoacetylCoA, neither of which can bring about net glucose production.

A small group of amino acids comprised of isoleucine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and tyrosine give rise to both glucose and fatty acid precursors and are thus characterized as being glucogenic and ketogenic. Finally, it should be recognized that amino acids have a third possible fate. During times of starvation the reduced carbon skeleton is used for energy production, with the result that it is oxidized to CO2 and H2O.

For today's lab, I would like you to determine why certain amino acids are essential and others are considered non-essential.

Comments

[fates_jaye]

Jaye's brain does not explode at the names of the amino acids.

She does not think it would be easier to understand if there had been an Animaniacs song about it.

[courier-gavin.livejournal.com]

Jake signs in and sits down to contemplate amino acids.

[psycho-barbie.livejournal.com]

Callisto signs in.

While waiting for her lab partner to show, she looks over her notes.

[swerval_zero]

*signs roll, sits down, and begins trying to translate the lecture into something that might make sense*

[mycanonhatesme]

Chloe signs in and looks over the information, taking notes to try to translate it into words she might actually understand.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

*signs in, and contemplates amino acids as well, in a totally different way than Jake. Honest*

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy signs in and approaches Sara's desk.

"Ms. Sidle? My partner seems to have disappeared. Is there someone else you can pair me up with?"

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

For this lab, you won't need a partner, Buffy. *smiles*

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth signs in, frowning slightly as she reads through the information.

She makes a mental note to take Janet up on her offer of help.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Signs in and pays close attention to the lecture.

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia leans over "Hey girl."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Hi." Lana smiles, but seems a little distracted.

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia tilts her head "Hey, whats the matter?"

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana shakes her head. "Just... I heard that Archie had reappeared and is in the clinic and I don't know what to do."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia's mouth falls open. "What??" She said in total shock

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. People have been talking about it. And I... well, he'd probably expect me to go see him, right? But... would it be worse if I went and clearly didn't know him or have any memories of things?" Lana rubbed her face. "I've been thinking and thinking about it and I just don't know what to do."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia squeezed Lana's hand. "I-I don't know maybe if you saw him you would remember everything." Maia looked sadly at her friend "I don't know Lana."

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Then you see my dilemma," Lana said quietly. She sighs and gives Maia a rueful smile. "I have some more thinking to do obviously."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia rubbed Lana's back in encouragement and then started working on her notes.

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

signs in and goes and sits next to Lana.

[addams-daughter.livejournal.com]

Wednesday signs in before asking, "Professor Sidle, did you receive my note last week? I'd like to make up for any classtime that I missed at open lab this week."

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

I did receive your note, Wednesday. I'll be having the open lab tomorrow and you can make your work up, then. *smiles*

[addams-daughter.livejournal.com]

"Thank you, Professor." Nodding gravely, Wednesday found a seat and prepared to take notes.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John signs in, and finds a seat next to Wednesday and Maia.

"Oh, man, what a day."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

"Your too huh?" Maia looks at John with sympathy. "What's happing in yours?"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"I had this wierd dream. You were in it. It wasn't a good dream, at the end. I don't know if I should talk about it now or wait until class is over. Freaked me out, lemme tell you."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia's mouth fell open slightly. "I" she lowers her voice "I was in it?" Maia was shocked and scared. "We can talk about it now or after class." Maia's heart was pounding.


((OOC: if you want make a post for them to talk and I will go to that one or they can continue here. Mun is very intrigued now about this dream))

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Well, you were in it as one of the good guys, after... You were one of the good guys. And someone said you could help. And she was in it, too," John said, nodding his head back towards Wednesday.

((OOC: here, for when class is over and John can talk about it more freely (http://www.livejournal.com/community/fandomhigh/332669.html?thread=16044157#t16044157). And the dream itself is in John's journal as of 10 minutes ago.))

[demonbelthazor]

Belthazor comes into class, signs in, and takes his seat. He looks tired and distracted.

After class

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John waits for everyone else to leave before telling Maia about his dream.

Re: After class

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia sits on a desk across from John. "What was it?" She said watching him closely with worry on her face.

Re: After class

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"A firestorm, metaphorically. I saw my future, which is never good and happy and cheerful, but I also saw it wasn't as bad as it could be."
Wow, John, way to be informative.

"It started off with me running from Marty, and then I ran into you."
John looked around to see who, if anyone, was there before continuing.

Re: After class

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia swallowed hard, her eyes trained on John. "Why were you running from Marty John?" Maia was staring at John as though penetrating him with her eyes.

Re: After class

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"I... I don't know. It made sense in the dream. Marty was chasing me for some reason, and you blocked the alleyway. I mean, it wasn't you, I couldn't tell, but I knocked you over, like football tackle knocked you over, and it was only until then that I saw it was you. And then... the... others came, and."
John swallowed.
"So they had me surrounded. Marty, A-An..." Connor didn't want to say this name. "And, y'know." He makes the same head motion that he made earlier when indicating Wednesday. "And a voice told me to pick up something and run, and I did. It was a baby. And then suddenly, I'm in a field, and all sorts of people from here show up, like a Good Guy Chorus or something. And then.."

Re: After class

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

"And then you woke up." Maia said looking disturbed. "Who was in the field with you after you took the baby?"

Maia started to see images like a movie reel on fast forward, John, smoke, fire, creatures that kept getting up after he shot them, John screaming up at the sky that was black with smoke.

Maia gasped and looked at John without the images. Her eyes wide as she looked at him trying to catch her breath.

((OOC: all images etc.. are OOG approved by both players))

Re: After class

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Well, it was. It was like the end of The Wizard of Oz, y'know? 'And you were there, and you were there, and you and you.' Carter. Kawalsky. That whole gang. You. Her." Here, he makes the Wednesday head motion. "Marty. His girlfriend, that redheaded girl. The two in Ethics who freaked out over the slave assignment. Some of the teachers here. Mom. And..." Again, unable to continue.

"And I heard a voice, telling me that I could save them. But I can't!"

Re: After class

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

After Maia caught her breath she looked at him, she was slightly bent forward and still breathing a little harder then usual.

"Wh-what was that?"

Re: After class

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"The end of it. It wasn't just a happy 'wake up and flowers and birds singing' thing, it was a tall figure with a scythe. Hella tall. We came up to his knees, his waist maybe, swinging a scythe, just the shadow. Just a shadow of the thing. ANd that's when I woke screaming."

Re: After class

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia shook her head for a moment, her eyes slightly wide. "Have you had dreams before?" Maia was still trying to grasp John's dream with what she was seeing in her head. "Dreams like that I mean."

Re: After class

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Well, everyone has dreams. Haven't had a bad one like that in a while, though. Freaked me the hell out this morning, I tell you what. Couldn't get back to sleep."

John looked at Maia, really looked at her.

"You okay? You're all pale again."

Re: After class

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia managed a weak laugh and nodded. "Yeah I'm good. Just.. yeah that dream would certainly serve to freak someone out."


((mind wrapping it up here we can have them talk again I am wrapping all the SP threads and this is the only one I have left.))

Re: After class

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Well, I should let you get going. I have to stalk Wednesday some stuff I gotta do. Til next class?"

((Wrapped. With a bow. No card, though. :D ))

Re: After class

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

"Of course." Maia smiled as she walked out of the door. She was curious about what she had seen and would ask John the next time they spoke.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward limps into the room, frowning at nothing in particular. He signs in and before sitting down, he approaches the professor. "Did you get my voicemail, um..." He thinks for a moment, totally lost on the date. "Uh, yeah. The week before last, I think. What sort of make-up work do I have?"

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

Come to the open lab today and we'll get it squared away.

[12parseckessel.livejournal.com]

Han signs in and goes to work on the lab. Aminos are vital, and he needs to understand more about them if he hopes to take his lover off-world in good shape.

[[shhh, he's working very hard]]

[iwasawesome.livejournal.com]

Lilly signs in. And does some classwork.

And the player dies at bio memories. Ow.

[equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com]

Bwahahahaha!

[bluemanoncampus.livejournal.com]

Hank signs in and pays close attention to the lecture, nodding at the names of each amino acid. Once the lab section begins, he diligently completes the assignment and turns in an excellent lab report to Ms. Sidle.