Faculty of

Medicine
Medical
Education-
Damietta
University

Level 1
Semester 1
Module 1B
 Level 1
Semester 1
Module 1B
Introduction to Biochemistry
and
Basis of Genetics
 Bioenergetics

Introduction to
metabolism, role of ATP
• Contact: Medical Biochemistry Department.

• email: drosmanzaki@Hotmail.com

• Mobile: 01141512123

• Academic hours:
➢Sunday: 10:00-12:00 AM
➢Wednesday: 10:00-12:00 AM
 Contents

• Introduction to Bioenergetics.

• Overview of Metabolism

• The Role of ATP

 Learning outcomes

At the end of the lecture, the students should be able

to:

• Identify the concept of bioenergetics.

• Identify the major concepts of metabolism.

• Describe the structure of ATP.

• Explain role of ATP in cell function

• Correlate their knowledge to a clinical situation.

 Case scenario
(Clinical correlate)
• A 20-year-old college student
presented to the emergency
department with progressive,
severe pain in both thighs,
inability to walk, and dark urine.
The day before he participated in
a 3-hour football practice. He had
a history of occasional muscle
cramps during exercise.
Examination revealed severe
tenderness to palpation of both
thighs.

https://www.mda.org/disease/metabolic-myopathies/causes-inheritance
 Introduction to Bioenergetics

LO 1-

Identifying the concept of bioenergetics.

 Bioenergetics
• It is the study of thermodynamics (energy transformations)
in living systems.

• Cells convert potential energy (energy that has not yet been
used), usually in the form of covalent bonds between carbon
atoms or in the form of ATP molecules, into kinetic energy
(energy in use) to accomplish cell division, growth,
biosynthesis, active transport and all other processes that
need energy.

• Biological systems obey the fundamental laws of

thermodynamics.
• Laws of Thermodynamics

• 1st law- Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

• Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can be converted

from one form to another. The sum of the energy before the
conversion is equal to the sum of the energy after the
conversion.

• 2nd law- Some usable energy dissipates during

transformations and is lost.

• During changes from one form of energy to another, some

usable energy dissipates, usually as heat. The amount of
 Overview of Metabolism

LO 2-

Identifying the major concepts

metabolism.
 Overview of Metabolism

• METABOLISM: are thousands of chemical

reactions taking place inside a cell in an
organized, well co-ordinated, and purposeful
manner.

• The metabolism of organic foodstuffs includes all

the chemical transformations continually
including degradation (catabolism) and re-
synthesis (anabolism).
 Overview of Metabolism

Types of Metabolic Pathways:

A. Catabolic (degradation) pathways:

The energy rich complex macromolecules are degraded into smaller

molecules with the release of chemical energy, usually as ATP.

B. Anabolic (biosynthesis) pathways:

The cells synthesize complex molecules from simple precursors. This

needs energy.

C. Amphibolic pathways: are seen at cross-roads of metabolism,

where both anabolic and catabolic pathways are linked.
 Overview of Metabolism
• The reactions in living cells
may be energy consuming
(endergonic) reactions or
energy releasing (exergonic)
reactions.

• Usually, anabolic reactions

are endergonic catabolic
reactions are exergonic.

https://bio.libretexts.org/Under_Construction/BioStuff/BIO_101/Reading_and_Lecture_Notes/Energy%2C_Enzymes%2C_Metabolism
 Overview of Metabolism

• The living cells utilize the energy

liberated from the exergonic reactions
to synthesize high energy intermediate
(mainly ATP) which in turn gives the
energy to energy requiring processes
(endergonic reactions).
 METABOLIC SOURCES
OF ENERGY
3 Stages of Oxidation of Foodstuffs:
1st Stage; The primary metabolism :

In the gastrointestinal tract, digestion converts the metabolic fuels

to the monomeric building blocks (glucose, amino acids, and fatty
acids) to be absorbed.

2nd Stage, The secondary or intermediary metabolism:

The absorbed products are catabolized to smaller components, and

oxidized to CO2 and the reducing equivalents (NADH and FADH2) in
the mitochondria by the citric acid cycle.
 METABOLIC SOURCES
OF ENERGY
3rd Stage; the tertiary metabolism or internal respiration or cellular
respiration:

• The reduced equivalents (NADH and FADH2) carrying 2H enter

into the electron transport chain (ETC), or Respiratory chain,
where energy is released and used to produce ATP. This process
requires O2 (aerobic conditions) which finally reacts with the 2H
to produce H2O.

• So, Energy is produced by oxidation of food stuffs with the

production of the end products CO2 and H2O. This energy is
required to maintain the structure and function of the living cells
 METABOLIC SOURCES
OF ENERGY

Vasudevan's Textbook of Biochemistry For Medical Students, 6th Edition

 METABOLIC SOURCES
OF ENERGY

Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, USMLE® STEP 1 Lecture Notes, 2016

 METABOLIC SOURCES
OF ENERGY
• In the presence of O2, complete oxidation of
foodstuffs takes place in the mitochondria
with the production of energy(ATP), CO2 and
H2O (aerobic condition).
• Under anaerobic conditions (absence of O2),
lower amount of energy is produced from
incomplete oxidation of foodstuffs (stage 1
and 2 only)
 Introduction to Bioenergetics

LO 3-

Describing the structure of ATP.

 ATP
• ATP It is a high energy
compound which is
considered as the universal
energy currency of the cell.

• It is adenosine triphosphate, a
nucleotide formed of adenine,
ribose and 3 inorganic
phosphates.
Vasudevan's Textbook of Biochemistry For Medical Students, 6th Edition
 ATP

ATP production
A. Oxidative phosphorylation:
The electrons produced by oxidation of
foodstuffs are transferred through the
ETC to react finally with oxygen and the
produced energy is utilized for ATP
synthesis.
B. Substrate level phosphorylation
 ATP can be formed by transferring the
high energy from substrates directly to
ADP.
 ATP
ATP is formed at substrate levels from:
1. 1,3 diphosphoglycerate by
phosphoglycerate kinase (in glycolysis).
2. Phosphoenol pyruvate by pyruvate kinase
(in glycolysis).
3. Succinyl CoA by succinate thiokinase (in
citric acid cycle).
4. Creatine phosphate by creatine kinase
enzyme.
5. ADP by myokinase (adenyl kinase)
enzyme.
 Introduction to Bioenergetics

LO 3-

• Explaining the role of ATP in cell

function
 ATP

Hydrolysis of ATP:
• The hydrolysis of ATP to ADP (under standard conditions)
releases 7.3 kcal/mol.

• ATP captures the chemical energy from consumption of

nutrients and transfers it to reactions that require energy.

• ATP is continually being hydrolyzed and regenerated. An

average person at rest consumes and regenerates ATP at a rate
of approximately 3 molecules per second, i.e. about 1.5 kg/day.

Vasudevan's Textbook of Biochemistry For Medical Students, 6th Edition

 ATP

Biological Importance of ATP:

1. Biosynthetic reactions of macromolecules.
2. Muscle contraction and Nerve conduction.
4. Active absorption and secretion.
5. Active transport across biological membranes
(Na+/K+ pump).
6. Activation of monosaccharides, FA and AA.
7. Formation of creatine phosphate.
8. Biosynthesis of cAMP.

N.B. At rest, Na+/K+/ATPase uses up one-third of all ATP

formed.
 Case Report and Clinical
Correlates
• A case of Metabolic myopathy
with progressive muscle
weakness, fatigue, episodes of
pain and cramps after
exercise.

• The disease is due to

blockage of the usual
metabolic pathways of fuel
oxidation inside the muscle
cells.
Summary and rap up
 Questions
ATP is produced at substrate level from all of the
following except:

a. Creatine phosphate

b. phosphoenol pyruvate

c. Glucose-6-phosphate

d. 1,3-diphosphoglycerate

e. Succinyl CoA
Answer: c
Chatterjea’s Textbook of Medical Biochemistry, 8th edition.
 Questions
Energy released by breakdown of bonds is:
a. Nuclear energy
b. Thermal energy
c. Potential energy
d. Kinetic energy
e. Photolytic energy
Answer: d
Chatterjea’s Textbook of Medical Biochemistry, 8th edition.
 Questions

Study of relationship of energy and transformation of

energy in living organisms is known as

a. Catabolism energetics

b. Anabolism energetics

c. Bioenergetics

d. Amphibolic energetics

e. Anaplerotic energetics.
Answer: c
 Questions

Direct source of energy in life processes of life is

a. Catabolic reactions

b. Anabolic reactions

c. Redox reactions

d. Aerobic reactions

e. Anaerobic reactions

Answer: a
 Questions
Reaction by which chemical energy that has been
stored in high energy bonds in ATP is released is called

a. ATP phosphorylation

b. ATP dehydrogenation

c. ATP hydrogenation

d. ATP hydrolysis

e. ATP oxidation
Answer: d
 Questions
Life without air would be
a. Reductional
b. Free from oxidative damage
c. Impossible
d. Anaerobic.
e. Anabolic.
Answer: d
Discussion
10 minutes
 Brain storming question
• ATP depletion or
deficiency due to
mitochondrial
disorders leads to a
variety of clinical
conditions.
• From the provided
picture pick up four
diseases may result
from ATP depletion.

https://www.genpharmservices.com/aspire-educational-series-mitochondrial-myopathy-mm-part-13/
Feed back
 References
• Chatterjea’s Textbook of Medical Biochemistry, 8th edition.

• Vasudevan's Textbook of Biochemistry For Medical Students,

6th Edition.

• Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, USMLE® STEP 1 Lecture

Notes, 2016.

• https://www.mda.org/disease/metabolic-myopathies/causes-
inheritance

• https://www.genpharmservices.com/aspire-educational-series-
mitochondrial-myopathy-mm-part-13/