Human Physiology · MU Plovdiv

53. Nutrient metabolism – carbohydrates; levels and regulation of blood glucose. Protein metabolism and its control. Lipid metabolism and its control.

Inside: 7 sections · 6 labelled pictures · 30 flashcards · 7 min

Topic 53 of 69 in the MU Plovdiv syllabus for Human Physiology (Dental Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 7 sections, about 923 words (7 min of reading), with 30 flashcards.

In this note

  1. Protein and lipid metabolism. Regulation.
  2. Protein Metabolism
  3. Regulation of Protein Metabolism.
  4. Lipid Metabolism
  5. Regulation of Lipid Metabolism
  6. Recap Questions.
  7. Metabolism: general characteristics. Carbohydrate metabolism. Regulation of blood glucose level.

Protein Metabolism

  • Amino Acids: The human body requires 20 amino acids.
  • 11 can be synthesized internally (non-essential amino acids).
  • 9 must be obtained through diet (essential amino acids).
  • Protein Digestion and Absorption:
  • Initial breakdown into smaller peptide chains occurs in the digestive system via enzymes: pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase.
  • Further breakdown into individual amino acids is facilitated by carboxypeptidase, aminopeptidase, and dipeptidase, enabling absorption into the bloodstream.
  • Next is the breakdown of amino acids into their constituent parts (catabolism). This removes the nitrogen or amino group from the amino acids. The process is called deamination. Deamination breaks the amino group down into ammonia and keto acid carbon skeleton. Ammonia (is toxic) is converted to urea, filtered through the kidneys, and excreted in urine (urea is the primary storage of nitrogen)
  • Nitrogen Balance: Protein serves as the primary source of nitrogen in the body.
  • For every 6.25 grams of protein consumed, 1 gram of nitrogen is excreted.
  • Nitrogen balance can be assessed to determine protein absorption by multiplying the grams of nitrogen excreted by 6.25.

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