http://equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] equalsmcsquared.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2005-11-08 08:15 am
Entry tags:

Biology

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.

[identity profile] lovelylana.livejournal.com 2005-11-08 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hi." Lana smiles, but seems a little distracted.

[identity profile] maias-notebook.livejournal.com 2005-11-08 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Maia tilts her head "Hey, whats the matter?"

[identity profile] lovelylana.livejournal.com 2005-11-08 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Lana shakes her head. "Just... I heard that Archie had reappeared and is in the clinic and I don't know what to do."

[identity profile] maias-notebook.livejournal.com 2005-11-08 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Maia's mouth falls open. "What??" She said in total shock

[identity profile] lovelylana.livejournal.com 2005-11-08 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"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."

[identity profile] maias-notebook.livejournal.com 2005-11-08 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
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."

[identity profile] lovelylana.livejournal.com 2005-11-08 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Then you see my dilemma," Lana said quietly. She sighs and gives Maia a rueful smile. "I have some more thinking to do obviously."

[identity profile] maias-notebook.livejournal.com 2005-11-09 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
Maia rubbed Lana's back in encouragement and then started working on her notes.