Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Metabolism

Metabolic flow is based on anabolic and catabolic reactions. Metabolism begins with theingestion of food that is foreign to the organism (containing a varying amount of smallerand larger compounds), which is broken down in the digestive tract to smaller moleculesby hydrolysis.An anabolic phase occurs when the smaller molecules are taken up into the organism’sbloodstream and become part of the organism. Catabolic reactions constantly break downthe organism again for its functional needs.We will demonstrate the connections of processes in organs and organisms as well as theinterconnectedness of organisms within the whole of living nature.1.1. Anabolic and catabolic processesand energy transferThe flow of substances in metabolism in principle has two opposite directions.1. Anabolic:In the anabolic stream of metabolism, largercompounds are formed from smaller ones.Chemical reductions play a predominant rolein these reactions. An example is theformation of complex carbohydrates fromlactate or carbon dioxide.2. Catabolic:Catabolism is the opposite type of process,the breakdown of more complex compoundinto smaller ones. Chemical oxidation and dehydrogenation play an important role in these reactions. An example is conversion of
glucose or glycogen to carbon dioxide.

















dehydrogenation play an important role in these reactions. An example is conversion of
glucose or glycogen to carbon dioxide.


The effect of anabolic reactions is the formation of larger molecules, which will contributeto the organism’s seemingly constant structures. Anabolic reactions usually require energyto carry out the process. The energy is needed for the reaction process as well as to holdtogether the structure of the more complex compound that is formed. The energy capturedin the structure of compounds is stored, potential energy. This energy is expressed, forinstance, in the linkages between molecules. Examples are:• all covalent bonds including the glycosidic linkages in complex carbohydrates and thepeptide bonds of the primary structure of proteins;• the different bonds that hold together the three dimensional structure of proteins likepeptide bonds, hydrogen bonds, disulfide bonds;• the hydrophobic interactions and van der Waals bonds in lipid structures.Catabolic reactions break down substances in the organism, and the resulting energy isfreed for other aims. The freed up energy may be used to move muscles (bio-mechanicalenergy), to facilitate conduction in the nervous tissue (bio-electrical energy), to enable synthesis of biochemical substances, and to effectuate active transport of substances.Anabolic reactions incorporate bond energy into the larger compounds, which are in turnpart of cellular or tissue structures, for instance cellular membranes, connective tissuefibers, or glycogen in the liver. Catabolic reactions effectively free up this energy. Thestructuring substances of organisms therefore have the additional function of being asource of potential energy in situations of need.In trauma, or extreme situations like hunger states, the needs of the organism are met bybreaking down more and different structural compounds. Eventually the substance ofevery organism ends up in its surrounding again, either in the form of energy, for instanceas the effect of muscular action, the fluorescent light of certain fishes, etc., or assubstance, as excretory products or when the living organism finally dies.QUESTION: Are different types of bonds prototypical fordifferent types of compounds? Are different types of energystored in the different types of bonds?QUESTION: Where does the energy come from that we use formental processes like thinking, emotions, or intentions? Is thatalso released from structures in the organism that are brokendown?

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