This lesson addresses the curious case of why CoA makes a brief cameo in the citric acid cycle during the formation of succinyl CoA only to leave again in the next step. We dig into the chemistry underlying the high-energy thioester bond that CoA forms with acyl groups, which explains more broadly one of the …
This complex is so rich in biochemical concepts and relevance to health and disease. Having done the dirty work of looking at its organic chemistry mechanisms in the last lesson, here we explore broadly applicable biochemistry principles like energetic coupling and substrate channeling. We look at how thiamin deficiency, oxidative stress, arsenic, and heavy metal poisoning …
The alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex is marvelously complex and incredibly rich in details that are relevant to the big picture of metabolism and to many issues of health and disease. Today, we break down what actually happens so that we can spend all of Wednesday’s lesson discussing the rich array of relevant principles it brings to …
You have to squeeze your brain muscles extra hard for this one, but it pays off. This lesson looks at the third step of the citric acid cycle in much more detail, digging into the organic chemistry concepts involved in the conversion of isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate. We dive deep into this because it’s the only way …
The fifth MWM Energy Metabolism lesson explores the third and fourth steps of the citric acid cycle and explains how the rate of ATP production is regulated according to the cell’s need for ATP. Together with lesson four, it explains how cells regulate their ATP production according to their needs and abilities. In the course of exploring …
The fourth MWM Energy Metabolism explores the first two steps of the citric acid cycle and explains how the rate of ATP production is regulated according to the abilities of the electron transport chain. Together with the upcoming lesson five, it explains how cells regulate their ATP production according to their needs and abilities. In …
The third MWM Energy Metabolism lesson provides an overview of the basic objectives of using the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain to make ATP. We start here because, no matter whether we burn protein, carbs, or fat, these two interrelated systems are what is shared in common. Here’s how to watch it: Watch it on …
The second MWM energy metabolism looks at how we use enzymes to exert exquisite control over what happens inside our bodies. If the second law of thermodynamics holds that entropy is always increasing, why don’t we reach maximum entropy right away? Why do we observe any order at all? The activation energy represents the resistance to change that …
The first MWM Energy Metabolism lesson answers the question, why do we have to eat such an enormous amount of food? The answer is to comply with the second law of thermodynamics. If you have a chemistry background, you should recognize this as a light review of the thermodynamics unit from a general chemistry class, with …