Topics 1 and 2: Chapter 9 Metabolism

1. The mitochondria, also known as the powerhouse of the cell, generate

chemical energy to power reactions in the cell. This energy is stored in the
form of ATP. The reactions are referred to as the Krebs cycle, which releases
stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl CoA derived from
carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The mitochondria also regulates cellular
metabolism. I just learned all this stuff in my biology class so this is pretty
perfect timing!
2. Both of these are coenzymes involved in reversible oxidation and reduction
reactions. NAD is a chemical compound that stands for nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide. FAD stands for flavin adenine dinucleotide. NAD has multiple
different functions, including being a mechanism for accepting and donating
electrons. FAD also has multiple functions, including electron transport, DNA
repair, and more. 
3. Aerobic metabolism is the creation of energy without the use of oxygen,
whereas aerobic metabolism is the creation of energy with the use of oxygen.
Aerobic metabolism is more efficient in forming ATP because through the
Krebs cycle and Electron Transport Chain (ETC), 32 molecules of ATP are
produced. The aerobic advantage over anaerobic metabolism is that it
extracts more energy from our food sources. For anaerobic, the food sources
available are just carbohydrates, but for aerobic, there are also fats and
proteins. Furthermore, oxidative degradation of substrates is essential for
large complex organisms. Anaerobic catabolism is restricted largely to small
single cell organisms. Aerobic metabolism is regarded as the only way to
sustain life. 
4. Looking at figure 9-22 in the textbook, I was first surprised to see how much
vitamin B-6 was present. It is present in proteins, amino acids and
carbohydrates. Thiamin also surprised me, as it is present in
monosaccharides, fatty acids and glycerol, acetyl-CoA and amino acids.
Lastly, Niacin surprisingly was listed under every single category in the table
except amino acids!
5. Before learning this, I thought metabolism was just how fast your body
absorbs nutrients and turns them into energy and waste products. For
example, I was told growing up that I had a fast metabolism because I was
able to eat a lot of food and automatically turn it into energy to play sports
which I did for hours every day. I also rarely ever gained weight and was able
to maintain a small figure despite my large food intake. 
6. I think I kind of had the right idea stated above. When someone has a slow
metabolism, they need less fuel to keep their body running. That means it is healthier
and more sustainable for them to eat in less amounts and less often. When they do eat
a lot, it takes a lot more for their body to process all of that. Although we often associate
metabolism with how fat or skinny a person is, it actually depends on the composition of
protein mass you have. This is because muscle is more metabolically active. In other
words, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when you’re resting. So a
person with a slow metabolism is less muscular.