Metabolism involves building the molecules that cells need to survive and breaking down other molecules so the cells will have enough energy. The cells use the citric acid cycle to make energy in the form that they need. Substances such as...
The muscles make creatine phosphate from creatine so they can use the phosphate to help make the energy that they need, but when they remove the phosphate, creatine phosphate changes to creatinine. Normally, the creatinine is sent to the kidneys....
When you hear the word acid, you probably think of corrosive chemicals or the recreational drug called lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD. To a chemist, however, an acid is just a compound that donates or gives away a hydrogen ion, and many acids...
Amino acids combine to make proteins. Those that can be made in the body are called nonessential amino acids, while the amino acids which the body cannot make are referred to as essential. Because of their structure, most amino acids have two...
There are many types of lipids, none of which can dissolve in water. Lipids serve various functions. Some may form part of the cell membrane and help regulate what enters and exits the cell, while others are used by the nerves to send signals or...
"Hydrocarbon" and "carbohydrate" sound similar but are two very different types of compounds. Hydrocarbons consist of purely carbon and hydrogen, while carbohydrates also contain oxygen. Living organisms metabolize carbohydrates for energy,...
Buffer systems, whether inside your body or not, help to control the acidity of a solution. In your body, this is particularly important, as you need a very stable environment both inside and outside the cells with regard to temperature, acidity...
Vitamins fall into the category of micronutrients, meaning that they're compounds that humans require in small amounts. They don't provide energy, but do engage in chemical reactions and have activity in the body. The structures of vitamins...
Sucrose and glucose both fall into the broad category of carbohydrates, which is a class of macronutrient compounds. They're both sugars, and they both taste sweet, but there are some structural and chemical differences between the two, in terms...
Cholesterol has a bad reputation in nutritional chemistry, only part of which it actually deserves. In reality, the cholesterol molecule is critical to maintaining life and health -- you couldn't survive without cholesterol in your body. You can...
Lipases are enzymes that break bonds that hold fats together. Enzymes, as a class of biomolecules, are proteins that help chemical reactions take place faster than they otherwise would. Breaking large fat molecules into their constituent parts is...
Proteases are enzymes that help to digest proteins. All living organisms depend upon them to maintain normal cellular processes. The proteases in your body are used by cells and the digestive tract to function properly. Because your body produces...
Carbohydrates, lipids -- also called fats -- and proteins are the three kinds of macronutrients, which are compounds you need in large quantities each day to provide for your energy needs and to serve as building block molecules. There are some...
Sodium caseinate is the biochemical name for casein, which is a type of protein found in the milk from all mammals. Casein, which is Latin for "cheese," is a major component of commercial cheese and its principle source of protein. Casein is also...
A high level of the homocysteine amino acid has been associated with heart disease and atherosclerosis, although scientists are not yet sure exactly how a high amount of this amino acid in the bloodstream increases the risk. Various reasons for an...
Carboxylation and hydroxylation are technical terms for organic, biochemical reactions, or reactions that occur in life forms, from plants to people. While carboxylation and hydroxylation can occur apart from proteins, these reactions occur...
Having a high cholesterol level in the bloodstream is a risk factor for developing coronary artery disease, the number one cause of death for American adults. Lowering a high cholesterol level involves lifestyle changes and a change in diet, but...
People with diabetes mellitus type 1 and diabetes mellitus type 2 have abnormally high blood glucose levels. Those with either type have a problem with insulin, and as a result too much glucose stays in their bloodstream. The pancreas, which...
Glucose is a nutrient molecule found in a variety of foods. While it is sometimes found on its own in nature, it's more often combined with other sugar molecules--called monosaccharides, of which glucose itself is one. Fructose and galactose are...
Glucose is a common monosaccharide that's found in nature either on its own or in combination with other monosaccharides. A monosaccharide is a single sugar ring, explain Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham in their book "Biochemistry."...
Lactose is the chemical name for what is more commonly called milk sugar. One of the ways of classifying certain sugars has to do with indicating the number of carbons present; a pentose would be a five-carbon sugar. Lactose, however, is not a...
Leucine is an amino acid, meaning it's one of the building blocks of protein. You take it in whenever you eat complete protein, or protein that contains all the amino acids, and you need it to maintain normal cellular function. Specifically, it's...
Because lactose isn't a common ingredient in home cooking, you're not likely to need to find a substitute for it in recipes, though there are some options available to you should you need them. If you're lactose intolerant and are looking for...
Humans need sugar for several reasons. First, it's a valuable source of energy and is the preferred energy source for the brain. Second, you can convert it to fat and store it for later energy use. Finally, you can store sugars in the form of a...
Intrinsic factor, or IF, is an enzyme-like compound produced by parietal cells in your stomach. It is required to absorb dietary vitamin B-12 within your intestines. As people age, many lose function of their parietal cells, which reduces the...
Glucose is a carbohydrate, a chemical compound made of C, H, and O on 1 to 2 to 1 ratio. Specifically, glucose is a monosaccharide, which means that it consists of a single sugar ring. Because of the structure of this ring, there are two forms of...
Sucrose and glucose are both chemically classified as saccharides, or sugars. They're both carbohydrate compounds, chemically related to starch, but with a sweet taste, because they bind to sweetness receptors on the tongue. With regard to how...
Glucose is ubiquitous in nature. It's a monosaccharide, meaning single sugar unit, that's found not only as a component of table sugar but also as the building block for the larger molecules starch and cellulose, or fiber. Several scientists were...
Weight loss will occur naturally with healthy choices and exercise. Learn how to get started losing weight from a registered dietician in this video.
