Tag Archives: proteins

Anabolism – Building cell structures with simple molecules

By | August 7, 2021

Every living creature on this planet Earth needs to extract energy from the dietary food, a process termed as Catabolism ( breaking down of complex molecules into simpler molecules to yield maximum energy, eg: Glucose gets converted by a process involving Glycolysis, Krebs cycle and electron transport chain – to yield ATP). The opposite cellular… Read More »

Amino acids – building blocks of Proteins

By | July 31, 2021

Amino acids (aa) are the building blocks of proteins, which happens to be one of the 4 important biological macromolecules. Amino acids are organic compounds made up of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, along with a variable side chain group. All amino acids share a similar fundamental structure. The central carbon atom, or also termed as… Read More »

4 major Biological Macromolecules – Fueling Life

By | July 27, 2021

Everything on this Earth – living and non-living, is made up of atoms. An atom is the smallest unit of matter that has the characteristic properties of a chemical element. Two or more different or similar atoms will combine to form “Molecules” with the help of chemical bonds. Many molecules, joined together in an organized manner… Read More »

Endoplasmic Reticulum – The Lipid and Protein Processing Machinery of the Cell

By | July 23, 2021

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is divided into – smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). ER consists of a system of membranes that enclose a space or lumen, that separates it from the cytosol. The composition of the luminal or cisternal space inside the ER membranes is quite different from the cytosolic space.… Read More »

Why are potassium ions more permeable than sodium ions?

By | July 20, 2021

Ion channels have three important properties: They are selective to specific ions They open and close to specific stimuli such as electrical, chemical, or mechanical signals They conduct ions across the membrane. The fastest flow of ions across channels is comparable to the fastest turnover of enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase or catalase. The turnover… Read More »

What makes a human body ?

By | July 10, 2021

Every living thing on this planet is made of almost similar components. The smallest functional structure found in all living organisms ranging from basal micro organisms like bacteria to highly evolved human body, happens to be a “Cell”. In multicellular organisms there are different kinds of cells, each performing a special function. They have the… Read More »