OVERVIEW OF METABOLISM
BIOMEDICAL IMPORTANCE
o Metabolism
- Interconversion of chemical compounds in the
body, pathways taken by individual molecules,
and mechanisms that regulate flow of
metabolites through the pathways
o Anabolic Pathways
- Synthesis of larger and more complex
compounds from smaller precursors
o Catabolic Pathway
- Breakdown of larger molecules commonly
involving oxidative reactions
- Exothermic producing reducing equivalents,
mainly via respiratory cahin
o Amphibolic Pathways
- Act as links between anabolic and catabolic
pathways
o A 70-KG human adult requires about 8-12 MJ (1920-
2900 kcal) from metabolic fuels each day
o Energy Requirement of Humans:
 Carbohydrate – 40-60%
 Lipids (Triacylglycerol) – 30-40%
 Protein – 10-15%
 Alcohol
o There is a need to form reserves of:
 Carbohydrates – glycogen in liver and muscle
 Lipid -Triacylglycerol in adipose tissue
 Protein
o Obesity
- Occurs when the intake of metabolic fuels >
energy expenditure
- Results in storage of large surplus of
triacylglycerol in adipose tissue
o Emaciation
- Intake of metabolic fuels < energy expenditure
- Results in negligible reserves of fat and
carbohydrate
o Fed State
- Ample supply of carbohydrate
- Metabolic fuel for most tissues is glucose
o Fasting State
- Glucose is spared by use by the CNS and RBCs
- Metabolic fuel is in the form of ketone bodies
o Gluconeogenesis
- Utilizes amino acids from protein turnover when
glycogen reserves are deplted
PATHWAYS THAT PROCESS PRODUCTS OF DIGESTION
o Products:
 Carbohydrate > glucose
 Lipids > fatty acids and glycerol
 Proteins > amino acids
o All the products of digestion are metabolized to
acetyl-CoA, which is oxidized by the citric acid cycle
Carbohydrate Metabolism
o Glucose
- Major fuel of most tissues
- Metabolized to pyruvate by glycolysis
o Pyruvate
- Metabolized by aerobic tissues to Acetyl-CoA
o Acetyl-CoA
- Enters the citric acid cycle for complete oxidation
to CO2 and H2O, which is linked to the formation
of ATP in the process of oxidative
phosphorylation
o Anaerobic Glycolysis – end product is lactate
o Products of Glucose:
 Glycogen
- Storage polymer in skeletal muscle and liver
 Pentose Phosphate Pathway
- Alternative pathway of glycolysis
- Source of reducing equivalents for fatty acid
synthesis and source of ribose for nucleotide
synthesis
 Triose Phosphate
- Gives rise to glycerol moiety of
triacylglycerols
 Pyruvate and Intermediates of Kreb’s
- Provide the carbon skeletons for synthesis of
nonessential AA
 Acetyl-CoA
- Precursor of fatty acids and cholesterol,
hence all steroids
OVERVIEW OF METABOLISM Lipid Metabolism
Carbohydrate Metabolism

Amino Acid Metabolism

o Gluconeogenesis
- Process of synthesizing glucose from
noncarbohydrate precursors such as lactate, AA,
and glycerol
Lipid Metabolism
o Source of long chain fatty acids:
 Dietary lipid
 De novo synthesis from Acetyl-CoA
o Fates of fatty acids:
 Beta Oxidation
- Oxidation of fatty acids to acetyl-CoA
 Fates of this product:
 Oxidized to CO2 + H2O via the citric acid
cycle
 Precursor for cholesterol synthesis and
steroids
 Used to form ketone bodies,
acetoacetate, and 3-hydroxybutyrate in
the liver
 Esterified with glycerol forming triacylglycerol
as the body’s main fuel reserve
o Amino Acids
- Required for protein synthesis
 Essential/Indispensable AA
- Must be supplied in the diet because it
cannot be synthesized in the body
 Nonessential/Dispensable AA
- Supplied in the diet but can be also formd
from metabolic intermediates by
transamination
o Products of Amino Acids:
 Urea
- Produced from the deamination of amino
nitrogen
 Oxidized to CO2 via the citric acid cycle
 Synthesize glucose
 Form ketone bodies/acetyl-CoA, which may be
used for synthesis of fatty acids
OVERVIEW OF METABOLISM
INTEGRATION OF METABOLISM BY BLOOD
o Hepatic Portal Vein
- Absorbs amino acids from dietary protein and
glucose from carb digestion
o Liver
- Role of regulating the blood concentration of AA
and glucose
 Glycogenesis
- Taking up glucose in excess of intermediate
requirements and using it to synthesize
glycogen
 Glycogenolysis
- Maintains the blood glucose concentration
by breaking down glycogen
 Gluconeogenesis
- Conversion of noncarbohydate metabolites
such as lacatate, glycerol, and AA to glucose
o Skeletal Muscles
- Utilizes glucose as a fuel
o Mitochondrion
- Acts as the focus of carbohydrate, lipid, and
amino acid metabolism
- Contains enzymes for:
 B-oxidation of fatty acids and ketogenesis
 Respiratory Chain and ATP Synthase
o Cytosol
- Events that occur:
 Pentose Phosphate Pathway
 Fatty Acid Synthesis
o ER
- Events that occur:
 Triacylglycerol Synthesis
 Protein Synthesis