Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure2.3
Carbohydrates
ATP. This is the energy 'currency' of a cell which permits the transfer of energy
produced during degradation of a food to a process which may be occurring in
a distant location and which requires energy.
For brevity, the discussions in this chapter consider the metabolic processes of
prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes as equivalent to a single cell of a multi-
cellular organism such as an animal or plant. This is a hideous oversimplification
but justified when the points being made are general to all forms of life. Major
differences are noted.
The genetic blueprint for metabolic capability
Metabolic capability is the ability of an organism or cell to digest available
food. Obviously, the first requirement is that the food should be able to enter
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