Chapter One
PRINCIPLES OF METABOLIC CONTROL
William C. Plaxton
KEY CONCEPTS
The ability to control the rates of metabolic processes in
response to changes in the internal or external environment
is an indispensable attribute of living cells that must have
arisen with life's origin. This adaptability is necessary for
conserving the stability of the intracellular environment
(homeostasis), which is, in turn, essential for maintaining
an efficient functional state. In the absence of such
control, all metabolic processes would achieve a state of
equilibrium with the external environment. For example,
the intracellular storage of a fuel macromolecule such as
glycogen would be impossible since there is an enzyme
(glycogen phosphorylase) dedicated to catalyzing the
breakdown of this storage polyglucan into its constituent
glucosyl units. Obviously, the existence of glycogen a ... read full excerpt from Functional Metabolism: Regulation and Adaptation ebook
