Energy generating metabolic processes

The human body generates a steady flow of acidic by-products during its normal metabolic processes. Foremost among these is carbon dioxide, which is a major product of the reactions the body uses to produce energy (see Section 14-). An average person produces from 10 to 20 mol (440 to 880 g) of CO2 every day. Blood carries CO2 from the cells to the lungs to be exhaled. In aqueous solution, dissolved CO2 is in equilibrium with carbonic acid H2 O + CO2 H2 CO3... 

The energy generation from aerobic metabolism is so important for the vital organs that complete inactivation or loss of any of the proteins involved in this process is not... 

Our desire to generate a receptor for dicarboxylate anions came from an appreciation that di- and tricarboxylates play critical roles in numerous metabolic processes including, for instance, those associated with the citric acid and glyoxy-late cycles. They also play important roles in the generation of high-energy... 

The energy generated by metabolism of the macronutrients is used for three energy-requiring processes that occur in the body resting metabolic rate, thermic effect of food (formerly termed specific dynamic action), and physical activity. 

The roles of NADH and NADPH in the overall strategy of metabolism are shown in Fig. 5.17. Fuel molecules, such as glucose, are oxidised in catabolism they lose electrons and these reducing equivalents are transfered to an environmental acceptor such as oxygen, with concomitant ATP production (see oxidative phosphorylation, Section 5.5.6). However, some reducing equivalents are conserved and re-utilised in the synthesis of cellular components, with the consumption of ATP, as oxidised intermediates are reduced to synthetic precursors with subsequent polymerisation. The pyridine nucleotides thus have roles in both synthetic and energy generation process. 

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