Essays on Catabolism

The critical importance of protein in nutrition and life of the human body was discovered by chemists in the early 19th century, they also came up with "international" name for these chemical compounds - "proteins", from the Greek protos - "first, chief". Proteins have the incomparable value in the human diet: first of all, they serve as "building blocks" for the whole body. In addition, they are responsible for the metabolic and regulatory functions in the body; serve as a basis for the creation of tissues, such as muscle fibers; perform transport functions in metabolic systems of the body, ...

Based on the initial symptoms, the patient most likely suffers from hypothyroidism or low thyroid hormone disorder. Further clinical tests and an examination of the family’s medical history reveals that the particular disorder could be Hashimoto’s disease; also called Hashimoto thyroiditis. Hashimoto thyroiditis is classified as an autoimmune disease. In autoimmune disease, one's immune system attacks the body’s tissue specifically the thyroid gland (Skugor & Wilder, 2006, p.2). By attacking the thyroid gland, the disease reduces the gland’s ability to produce thyroid hormones of substantial quantity. This condition leads to hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormone deficiency presents with ...

Report on Case 1: Diagnosis of Hereditary Fructose Intolerance

Enzymes act as biological catalysts, they speed up biological reactions and are also capable of regulation. Enzymatic reactions can be anabolic – where a new substance is built from smaller ones; or catabolic – where a substance is broken down to yield simpler molecules. In the example of fructose, enzymes catabolize this simple sugar to substances that are intermediates of the glycolytic pathway, allowing fructose, a 6-carbon sugar, to be used by cells to obtain energy in a way similar to glucose (also a 6-varbon sugar). Aldolase B is one of the enzymes involved in the catabolism of fructose, and its deficiency results in ...