Fat metabolism
Lipids (fats and oils) are a high-energy source yielding twice the energy per gram of protein and carbohydrate. Around 30% of calorific intake by humans is currently recommended, as an…
Central metabolic pathways
Catabolism of lipids, carbohydrates and the carbon skeletons of some amino acids converge on acetylCoA. AcetylCoA is a precursor for ketone bodies (acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate) and for the biosynthesis of…
General principles of cellular metabolism
Metabolism can be described as the sum of the chemical reactions in an organism that produce and maintain its molecular structure, and the chemical reactions that make energy available for…
Basic mechanisms of drug action
Drugs interact with their specific target, which may be coupled to a second messenger and/or effector system, leading to a cellular response. Pharmacological targets Receptors Receptors are proteins that are…
Cell organelles
Organelles (Figure 3.1) are most commonly defined as specialised structures within a cell that are enclosed by a membrane. The most prominent organelle of eukaryotic cells is the nucleus, which…
Carbohydrate biochemistry
Carbohydrates (CHOs) are probably the most abundant organic molecules in living organisms and serve a variety of roles. Carbohydrates provide about 55% of dietary calories for a healthy human, so…
Protein biochemistry
Proteins are polymers of the 20 common L-amino acids and constitute about 16% of the body weight of the average adult. Proteins have a wide range of functions in the…
Organisation of cell membranes
Cell membranes Cell membranes are large cellular structures that constitute the boundary of a cell or a cell organelle. In contrast to proteins or nucleic acids, membranes are not made…
Lipid biochemistry
Lipids are defined as organic molecules that share the property of being water insoluble but are highly soluble in organic solvents. They are structurally diverse and have many different functions,…
