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Question : Discuss "The respiratorypathway is an amphibolicpathway "

Answer»

Solution :GLUCOSE is the favoured substratefor respiration.
All carbohydrates are usually first converted into glucose before theyare USED for respiration.
Othersubstrates can also be respired, but then they do not enter the respiratory pathwayat the first STEP .

As per shownin figure, Fatswould need to be broken down into GLYCEROL and fatty acids first.
If fattyacids were to be respired they would first be degraded to acetyl CoAand enter thepathway.
Glycerol would enterthe pathway after being converted to PGAL.
The proteinwould be degraded by proteases ad the individual amino acids depending on their would enter thepathway at some stagewithin the Krebs. cycle or even as pyruvate of acetyl CoA .
Since respiration breakdownof substrates,the respiratory process has traditionallybeen considered a catabolicprocess and the respiratory pathway as a catabolic pathway.
Hence fatty acids would be broken down to acetyl CoA beforeentering the respiratorypathway when it is used as substate.
These vary compounds thatwould be withdrawn from the respiratory pathwayfor thesynthesisof the said substrates.
When the organism needsto synthesize fatty acid acetyl CoA would be withdrawnfrom the respiratory pathway for it
Hence, the respiratorypathway comes into the pictureboth during breakdown and synthesisor fatty acids.
Similarly during breakdownand synthesisof protein too, respiratoryintermediates forthe link.
Breaking down PROCESSES withinthe living organism is catabolism and synthesis is anabolism .
Because the respiratory pathway is involved in bothanabolism andcatabolism.
It wouldhence be better to consider therespiratorypathway an an amphibolic pathwayratherthenas a catabolic one.


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